A four-hour barricade on Porter Street in New Braunfels ended peacefully Friday when SWAT officers went inside a home and took a 33-year-old man into custody. No injuries were reported, and the man faces aggravated assault charges.
The New Braunfels Police Department responded around 8:30 a.m. to a residence in the 800 block of Porter Street after reports of an armed individual making threats. Officers briefly made contact before the man retreated indoors and refused to cooperate. Police established a command center and called in crisis negotiators and the department’s SWAT team. Search and arrest warrants were obtained, and the response was limited to a single home, according to the City of New Braunfels.
SWAT team enters after negotiations
After roughly four hours of negotiations, the NBPD SWAT team entered the home at about 12:30 p.m. and arrested the suspect without further incident. Police identified him as 33-year-old Mark Joseph Freaney of New Braunfels; he was transported to the Comal County Jail and is being charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. “This is believed to be an isolated incident and there are no additional threats to the community,” the City of New Braunfels said.
What the charge means
Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon falls under Texas Penal Code Sec. 22.02 and is commonly charged as a second-degree felony, carrying a punishment range of two to 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $10,000. Penalties can be enhanced depending on the victim or circumstances, and those decisions will be determined by prosecutors and the courts, according to the Texas Penal Code.
Investigators remained on scene Friday afternoon as officers processed the home, and authorities asked the public to avoid the area until it is released. NBPD said it will provide updates through its official channels as the case moves through the Comal County system.
