Crime

Frisco armed hostage taker arrested after firing at police

By Alex Keller

June 10, 2022 / 1:52 PM CDT / CBS Texas

Your morning headlines for Friday, June 10

FRISCO, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) — Frisco police took an armed hostage taker into custody without incident early Thursday morning after a family disturbance erupted into violence and gunfire.

At about 3:39 a.m. on June 9, 2022, Frisco officers responded to the 3400 block of Continental Drive on a family disturbance call. The caller, who was inside the home, said that Lawrence Porath, 45, had entered the residence armed with a handgun.

Lawrence Porath, 45, is accused of aggravated assault, kidnapping, and violating a protective order after police said he took a person hostage and fired at officers. Frisco Police Department

Porath allegedly threatened to kill the residents and, according to police, began assaulting one of them.

When they arrived, officers entered them home and tried to intervene. They were immediately met with gunfire and took cover.

As the officers in the house began speaking with Porath, officers outside used a ladder provided by the Frisco Fire Department to rescue children from an upstairs room near the suspect.

The Frisco Police Department SWAT team and Crisis Negotiators arrived at the scene a short time later. After speaking to Porath for about an hour, he released the hostage. Porath exited the home and taken into custody without incident.

Frisco Emergency Services transported the hostage to a local hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.

Porath is currently being held at the Frisco Detention Facility with a total bond set at $1,950,000. He was charged with:

Three counts of Aggravated Assault Against a Public Servant (1st degree felony)
Two counts of Aggravated Assault Deadly Weapon (2nd degree felony)
Three counts of Violation of Protective Order (3rd degree felony)
One count of Repeated Violation of Protective Order (3rd degree felony)
One count of Aggravated Kidnapping with a Deadly Weapon (1st degree felony)

"Domestic violence is one of the most dangerous calls officers can respond to," said Frisco PD Chief David Shilson. He praised the officers for their bravery and resolve, Frisco Fire and EMS for their cooperation, and the tactical and negotiation teams for ending the situation quickly and without injuries.

Shilson continued, "We will now work with the Denton County DA to ensure Porath is appropriately prosecuted for his crimes, and we hope it sends a strong message that such violent acts will not be tolerated in our community."

The investigation into this incident remains active and ongoing, and anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact the Frisco Police Department at (972) 292-6010. Anonymous tips can be submitted by texting FRISCOPD and the tip to 847411 (tip411) or by downloading the Frisco PD app available on Android and iOS devices.