Woman surrenders after police standoff closes Highway 183 in Bedford
BEDFORD — A police standoff on State Highway 183 closed eastbound lanes in Bedford for hours Sunday afternoon, with many stopping to watch officers try to negotiate with a woman who claimed to have a gun with her.
The woman, who has since been identified as 34-year-old Shalunda Marie Hayes, was charged with evading arrest, detention with a vehicle, impersonating a public servant, resisting arrest/search/or transport and unlawfully carrying a weapon. DART confirms she is an operator for their organization and her employment is pending due to the ongoing investigation.
Just before noon on Sunday, Bedford police attempted to pull a car over in the TEXpress lane of SH 183 for allegedly speeding.
Hayes did not stop; however, she called 911 to let the Bedford Police Department know she had a gun in the car.
She ultimately pulled over and officers began protocol for a high-risk traffic stop.
Eastbound lanes between Brown Trail and Industrial Boulevard closed on SH 183 around 1 p.m., according to Bedford police. They reopened just over two hours later.
Hayes was alone in the vehicle and refused to get out for several hours despite officers' attempts to negotiate.
Eventually, the SWAT team deployed gas into the vehicle, at which time Hayes got out of her vehicle. She then surrendered to officers with no further incident.
TCU Criminology Professor, Dr. Johnny Nhan said the drastic measures police used were warranted due to the fact Hayes had a gun.
"That is routine when somebody has a gun again it's a dynamic situation and seems very excessive but what's what does it just kind of minimizes the wrist to the officers. So it could be a handgun it doesn't matter. They're going to treat the situation regardless of gender, regardless of race, they're going to come in the same exact way," Nhan said.
Investigators say Hayes was taken to a hospital and then transferred to the Tarrant County Jail, facing multiple charges, including evading arrest, unlawful carrying of a weapon, as well as impersonating a public servant. Her bond is set at $14,000.
Bedford Police say Hayes claimed she was either a Dallas police officer or a DART Police officer to the law enforcement on the scene.
