A hostage standoff on Houston's north side ended Monday evening with the suspect getting a rude wake-up call — a police drone buzzing over his head as he slept. According to Click2Houston/KPRC 2, Houston police were called to an apartment complex near West Crosstimbers and Fulton streets around 3 p.m. Monday after a woman contacted HPD's victim services unit saying she was possibly being held against her will by her boyfriend.

The man had an active warrant for family violence assault by strangulation stemming from a prior incident with the same victim, and had reportedly threatened her with a gun in the days before officers arrived. When police showed up, the suspect's mother initially told them no one else was inside the unit — but investigators determined both the victim and the suspect were still in the apartment.

Drone Finds Him Asleep

Officers managed to safely get the mother and the victim out of the apartment, then tried coaxing the suspect out over a loudspeaker. When he refused and given the earlier gun threats, HPD called in its SWAT team, according to ABC13 Houston. SWAT officers broke a window and flew a drone into the apartment to assess the situation — and found the suspect asleep. When officers woke him and moved in to arrest him, he became combative, and police used a taser to take him into custody.

NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED IN THE HOURS-LONG STANDOFF

No injuries were reported among police, the victim or the suspect, per FOX 26 Houston's report. The suspect's name has not been released by police, and additional charges beyond the outstanding warrant remain under review by the Harris County District Attorney's Office.

The standoff is the latest example of Houston police leaning on drone technology to de-escalate barricade situations without forcing a direct confrontation. Investigators have not said whether the victim plans to pursue additional charges related to the alleged threats made in the days leading up to Monday's standoff.