Suspect in Inglewood standoff identified, booked in attempted murder
A man who allegedly shot and injured a police officer during a hostage standoff in Inglewood has been booked on suspicion of attempted murder, authorities said.
Christopher Warsaw, 45, was being held in lieu of $1-million bail after he surrendered Wednesday night without incident following hours of negotiations, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Police said Warsaw had been holding his girlfriend and her teenage daughter hostage. Neither was harmed.
“I guess the negotiator built enough trust with the suspect, who felt he would be fairly treated and safely taken into custody,†said Lt. Dave Dolson of the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau.
The standoff began about 12:30 p.m. Wednesday after Warsaw was seen dragging a screaming girl by her hair outside a residence in the 10700 block of 5th Avenue, police said. When officers arrived, shots were fired from inside the home, according to Lt. Oscar Mejia of the Inglewood Police Department. Residents said officers returned fire.
A male Inglewood officer was shot once in the chest but was “saved by his bulletproof vest,†Mejia said. A female officer was injured when she fell while trying to help the wounded officer, according to police. Both were veterans with more than 10 years at the department, Mejia said.
“He seems to be doing fine, he’s talking,†Inglewood Police Capt. James Madia said of the officer who was shot. “Fortunately, for all involved, they came out of it relatively OK.â€
Madia said the injured officers’ names would not be released.
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Twitter: @vicjkim
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