SAN LEON – A nearly seven-hour standoff in Galveston County ended peacefully Friday night, after SWAT teams used heavy equipment to break into a home and force a barricaded fugitive to surrender.

Galveston County Sheriff Jimmy Fullen said deputies were called out around 1:15 p.m. in reference to a barricaded suspect identified as Gary Cooper. Authorities were attempting to serve two felony warrants, one for aggravated assault and another for aggravated robbery.

When members of the sheriff’s office fugitive apprehension unit arrived, they were unable to get Cooper to come out of the house. The situation quickly escalated, and the SWAT team was activated.

“They tried negotiating with the suspect, he never would come out,” Fullen said during an on-site evening press conference. “So they went to the next level and started gassing the house… No compliance whatsoever.”

Deputies remained in communication with Cooper for hours, but he still refused to surrender. Around 6 p.m., Captain Tommy Maffei requested assistance from the Harris County SWAT team, which brought in specialized equipment to help end the standoff.

Authorities used an armored vehicle known as a “Rook” to begin tearing into the roof of the home in an effort to force the suspect out.

“Once he saw the house being taken apart, he came out and surrendered peacefully. Everything went good,” Fullen said.

Officials said Cooper was believed to be armed during the standoff, but he was not armed at the time he was taken into custody. No shots were fired during the incident, despite rumors earlier in the day, according to the sheriff.

When asked about the suspect’s demeanor, Fullen said Cooper appeared agitated as he came out of the house but did not provide further details.

Investigators are now processing the scene. Authorities declined to discuss what may have been found inside the home or to go into detail about Cooper’s prior history with law enforcement.

“It’s always our ultimate goal to resolve these situations peacefully,” Maffei said. “Tonight we were able to do that.”

No deputies were injured during the incident. Cooper is expected to face charges related to the outstanding felony warrants, and additional information may be released once the investigation and crime scene processing are complete.