Barricade Standoff Situation Is Over at Oasis Inn & Suites

The barricade standoff situation is finally over next door at the Oasis Inn & Suites Motel at 1000 N. Lakeshore Drive.

We still don't know much about why or how the standoff occurred. The I-10 interstate was completely shutdown from the I-10 and 210 splits on each end of the city. Both directions were closed to all traffic and those stuck on the interstate in-between were being detoured down the wrong way of the Lakeshore Drive one-way feeder road.

I ended up having to walk to work because all traffic was blocked off from traveling under the I-10 overpass at the Lakeshore Drive intersection next to the freeway. I had to park my van near the cemetery and walk the rest of the way. When I got to work, the entire feeder was full of LCPD and SWAT vehicles. There were firetrucks, ambulances, and EMTs on both side of the interstate, so it was really crazy over here.

All we know right now is a person or persons had barricaded themselves in a room at the motel. There was a negotiator on a loudspeaker working to get them to give themselves up. After several hours had passed, SWAT approached the room with riot shields and a door rammer and proceeded to break the door down. It sounded like shots were fired into the room, but it's unclear as to if they were none-lethal or live ammo rounds.

My coworker, Mike Soileau, works mornings on Gator 99.5 and he said the police were at the motel we he got to work around 5:00am. So, this situation had been in progress for more than five hours. It ended around 11:00am, and the interstate slowly began to reopen.

We saw a lot of debris in front of the hotel room when we passed by. Police were still outside, and it appeared Calcasieu Parish Coroner vans were in front of the room as Erik Tee and I drove by to go get my vehicle.