Man killed in standoff

A standoff Monday in Midland ended with officers fatally shooting a 63-year-old man, officials said.

Midland police were called to the home of Paul Holland, 2405 Princeton Ave., at 11:22 a.m. According to Tina Jauz, Midland police public information officer, the initial officer on the scene removed Holland's wife after Holland threatened her and the officer.

The man then barricaded himself inside the residence. S.W.A.T. team members and negotiators were called to the scene, a perimeter was set up and nearby homes were evacuated, Jauz said. Holland's wife said he had weapons in the home and had threatened to kill himself.

Negotiators were on the phone with Holland when he exited the house at 12:40 p.m. Jauz said Holland didn't follow verbal commands from the officers and instead turned toward them with a pistol in hand. Three S.W.A.T. team members fired rounds from .223 caliber rifles, fatally shooting Holland.

Jauz said it is believed he was struck in the torso and leg. Holland never fired his weapon. It's not known how many shots the officers fired.

The Midland Police Shoot Team and Midland County District Attorney's Office will conduct separate investigations, Jauz said. The shoot team investigates any incident of an officer firing a weapon in city limits.

The three officers who fired their weapons, Sgt. Mitch Russell, 39, a 17-year department veteran, Officer James Dolan, 31, who has been with the Midland Police for four years, and 27-year-old Officer Sean Sharp, a Midland officer for five years, were placed on administrative leave with pay. Jauz said this is normal procedure and the investigation would determine if there was any wrongdoing.

According to Odessa American archives, Russell was involved in the Feb. 20, 2004, fatal shooting of Cosme Dominguez, 38. He was cleared of any wrongdoing in that case after investigations by the department's Administrative Review Board and the Texas Rangers.

In April, Dolan was honored with Field Operations Bureau Officer of the Year and Sharp was named Field Training Officer of the Year.

The last time a Midland police officer used deadly force was on Dec. 20, 2007, when Alfredo Losoya Vela, 38, was shot while the SWAT team executed a narcotics search warrant.