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Suspect posts Facebook updates during SWAT standoff

A 16-hour standoff with police ended with a suspect who was holed up in a motel room allegedly shooting himself, but not before posting updates about the tense situation on Facebook.Jason Valdez, 36, was wanted on a felony drug warrant in Ogden, Utah, but refused to come out of a motel room there and refused to let an acquaintance in the room with him go free.Police tried serving the warrant at ar

A 16-hour standoff with police ended with a suspect who was holed up in a motel room allegedly shooting himself, but not before posting updates about the tense situation on Facebook.

Jason Valdez, 36, was wanted on a felony drug warrant in Ogden, Utah, but refused to come out of a motel room there and refused to let an acquaintance in the room with him go free.

Police tried serving the warrant at around 5 p.m. last Friday, but Valdez barricaded himself in the room with the aquaintance, a woman. That led to a SWAT team on the scene, and police and family members trying to negotiate with Valdez. During those subsequent 16 hours, Valdez posted photos and updates on Facebook, according to police.

"I love u guyz and if I don’t make it out of here alive that I’m in a better place and u were all great friends,” was among the first things he said on the social networking site, according to police.

Family members and friends were using Facebook to communicate with Valdez. One friend posted: "Hey jason. im praying for u. i hope u make the right decision. god is wit u. listen to him. much love," according to KSL-TV.

Valdez also put word forth on Facebook around the next morning that he would release the acquaintance-turned-hostage, identified as "Veronica."

"Well everyone im letting Veronica go here real soon but this is the end," he said on Facebook.

Once the SWAT team finally got into the motel room, according to the Standard-Examiner and KRIS-TV, Valdez fired at police, then shot himself in the chest. He was taken to an area hospital, where he remains in critical condition.

— Via KRISTV.com

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