Police: Colorado hostage standoff has ended
2/4/2014ARVADA, Colo. — A 13-year-old boy who was held hostage for nearly 18 hours was rescued unharmed today by police who shot his captor, authorities said.
The suspect’s name and condition weren’t immediately known.
He was shot after he went to the front door to retrieve unspecified items left by police negotiators, Arvada police Chief Don Wick said. The SWAT officers immediately rescued the boy.
Wick declined to release additional details pending an investigation.
He had said the standoff began after police responded to a domestic dispute call involving an adult male and female at 5:30 p.m. Monday. The male fled the home, forcibly entered a nearby residence and took the 13-year-old hostage while he was home alone, police said.
The boy’s mother and brother arrived a short time later but were not taken hostage.
Aware that the suspect was watching media reports, police released few details during the standoff, other than to say the hostage and suspect didn’t know each other. The suspect also called some media outlets with what police described as misinformation.
The Denver Post said the suspect and a friend called the newspaper Monday night but police asked that the content of the conversation not be reported.
The state prisons department said the suspect may be a parolee but police wouldn’t confirm that during that standoff.