NYPD: Suspect Dies Of Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound After Shootout, Hostage Situation In Harlem
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The NYPD says a man is dead by suicide after opening fire on officers who were serving an arrest warrant.
Investigators say the man who fired at police was involved in an Amber Alert we told you about in June.
As CBS2's Tony Aiello reports, dozens of cops rushed to the scene on West 147th Street Wednesday, where police say 23-year-old Antonio Armstrong died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
It started around 8:30 a.m. when officers with the Manhattan North Warrant Squad arrived to arrest Armstrong for violating an order of protection stemming from that Amber Alert, when Armstrong grabbed his toddler daughter by force from her mother.
"The person they were attempting to arrest suddenly produced a gun and opened fire towards our officers. Fortunately none of the officers was struck. One of the officers returned fire and the team began a tactical retreat down the hallway," said NYPD Chief of Department Rodney Harrison.
Harrison says police were only 15 feet away when Armstrong opened fire with a 9mm handgun.
A two hour standoff followed, with police negotiators eventually losing contact. A check of the apartment showed Armstrong lifeless on the floor.
"The individual appeared to have a self inflicted gunshot wound to the head," Harrison said.
Police say a woman inside the apartment for at least part of the standoff is safe.
The incident also brought the NYPD Force Investigation Division to the scene, created in 2015 to better track and analyze police use of force.
There were moments of tension and uncertainty as the standoff unfolded.
"They said, 'You can't stand here, get behind the car, there's an active shooter, he has access to more than one window,' or as I understand, he moved from one room to the other. So there was great concern for the community's safety," said Iesha Sekou, from the Cure Violence group Street Corner Resources.
