City's attempt to cut Texas man's grass ends with his death, police say

[Jilly_in_VA]

An attempt by Austin, Texas, officials to serve a search warrant and provide lawn care resulted in shots fired, an hourslong standoff, a house fire and a death, police said Wednesday.

Police officers and code enforcement officers arrived at a home at 9:16 a.m. to serve a nuisance search warrant, but could not make contact with the resident, Austin Police Chief Joseph Chacon said at an evening news conference.

The warrant was left at the door and contractors for the city's code enforcement began working on the lawn. About an hour later, the resident started shooting from inside the house, Chacon said.

"And they immediately backed off. They got all of the staff that was working on the house to safety and and a SWAT call was initiated for a barricaded subject," he said.

SWAT, mental health officers and a crisis negotiator arrived on scene, but could not get the man out of the home, leading to the lockdown of a nearby elementary school and the closure of several streets.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/city-s-attempt-cut-texas-man-s-grass-leads-standoff-n1282623
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Next to last line reads:"Their main goal Wednesday was to get the man in compliance with the local homeowners association." Headline could be "HOA responsible for mentally ill man's death."

[TexasTowelie]

1. How about "Mentally ill man responsible for mentally ill man's death?"

I have a mental illness; however, that has never meant that I was not responsible for my own decisions and actions.

I regret that the man decided to take his own life and that others around him will be affected by his loss, but assigning blame to the HOA when the man had multiple opportunities to avoid what happened today (like mowing his lawn, responding to the warrant being served, not firing a weapon at the contractors, not starting a fire) seems ridiculous.

[Jilly_in_VA]

6. All mental illness is not equal

And if you have one, then you of all people should know that. It sounds like this man was severely paranoid. You of all people should be the one to cut him some slack. If he was that sick, then he was definitely not responsible.

[TexasTowelie]

7. Please don't lecture me as to who I have to cut slack.

Having mental illness, I've been around the schizophrenic, the paranoid, the addicted, people with manic and bipolar depression, and other afflictions such as OCD. There was also one point in my life where the next door neighbors were an out-patient home with four women from the state hospital. In all of those situations, I've never met a counselor or other attendant that would permit the patient to be irresponsible.

Yes, the man was severely paranoid but that does not absolve him of responsibility. He went through a series of bad choices and his final choices led to his death. The HOA isn't to blame for the man's bad decisions though and quite frankly, I think that is a scapegoat.

BTW, I've been open about my mental illness on DU. I was hospitalized for a suicide attempt and a second time for suicidal ideation in 2014. Despite the fact that it would have been easy to shift the blame for my predicament, I never shirked the fact that I am responsible for my own well-being. I didn't know it at the time, but if I had been hospitalized for a third time within that one year period then I would have automatically qualified for full SSDI. I'm living off SSI instead and I didn't get that until earlier this year after my foot was amputated in August 2020. I can also point the finger at some other people for that occurring, but I have to admit my own responsibility for what happened also. So yes, I've faced a lot of adversity and I can also show compassion, but in the end there is only one person responsible for what occurred to the man that died today regardless what you or I discuss.

[LeftInTX]

10. This guy started shooting city employees because they were mowing his lawn....

Are you defending him?????

[Jilly_in_VA]

11. No

I'm saying he was too sick to be responsible for his actions. There's a difference. Do you understand the concept of "legally insane"?

[LT Barclay]

2. Police enforcing HOA rules?

Well if that ain't fascism what is?
An HOA is an illegal form of government anyway.

[madville]

4. People willingly purchase a home in a HOA

They agree to the rules when they purchase the property. I despise HOA’s so I built a house on 6 acres out in the rural part of my county.

[Jilly_in_VA]

5. Maybe before he was sick, ok? n/t

[LeftInTX]

9. There was no HOA involved....It was the City of Austin responding to a hazardous lot

They tried to mow his lawn and the resident starting shooting at city employees. He was an anti-govt nut. He then was a danger to everyone because he was shooting up the neighborhood, so they had to call SWAT.

[MenloParque]

3. COMPLY OR DIE

[LeftInTX]

8. The article says nothing about an HOA. It was the City of Austin, not HOA.

Last edited Thu Oct 28, 2021, 10:26 PM - Edit history (2)

If someone's home is a hazard, code compliance will often come in to take care of it. Considering that they were actually mowing, the place must have been a fire hazard. Usually they will just fine you.

I can't believe that you are defending someone who is open firing on city employees for cutting someone's lawn. The city takes care of some of my trees, but I certainly don't shoot them. No one does. It's a service they provide. Good grief!

BTW: They gave him until August 19th to mow his lawn. It's been two months.

"Failure to correct this condition by the above deadline may result in city action to clean the property at your expense," the August notice states. "Should another violation occur within one year of the date of this notice, the city may take action to clean the property without further notice to you and at your expense."Code inspectors regularly collaborate with property owners to bring their properties into compliance, the Austin Code Department said. Inspectors send a notice outlining what needs to be fixed, and they work with property representatives to address the issue and bring their properties into compliance. If the issue doesn't get resolved, code officials can obtain municipal court warrants.

Austin city code requires property owners to maintain their land "in a safe, sanitary condition." Failure to do so can result in fines and misdemeanor charges, and the city can even order residents to vacate the premises.

The Code Department received two complaints about Richart's property in 2020. Then, in 2021, the department handled three separate cases regarding the property.

https://www.statesman.com/story/news/crime/2021/10/27/southeast-austin-man-swat-standoff-fired-gun-city-code-visit/8574007002/

Are you anti-code compliance????
Do you feel your neighbors have a right to set off fireworks whenever they want? Do feel it's OK if neighbors loud party all night? Do you feel it's OK it the neighbor has 10 cars and parks them in front of YOUR house? Do you feel it's OK if your next door neighbor has wild animals, such as lions and tigers in cages their yard? Do you feel it's OK if your next door neighbor dump hazardous chemicals in your yard? Code compliance deals with hazards....It's all about living in a civil society...
Oh and do you feel your nextdoor neighbor has a the right to tear down their house and build a gun shooting gallery instead?

[Jilly_in_VA]

12. That article may not

But the one I posted does. I even posted the last line of the article. Do I need to repost it here? I am not anti-code compliance as such, but I am seriously anti-HOA and wouldn't (personally) move anywhere there was one. I posted my article in good faith, complete with that comment. And your comment is NOT in good faith.