SWAT Article

August 27, 2007

Ky. SWAT fatally shoot gunman after hostage standoff

The Associated Press

LOUISVILLE, Ky. � A gunman who took four bank employees hostage Monday morning was shot by a SWAT team as he walked out of the bank with his gun drawn, police said. None of the hostages was injured.

"He came out of the bank holding his weapon and walking toward SWAT members in a challenging manner. SWAT then fired upon him," police spokeswoman Alicia Smiley said.

The gunman was taken to University Hospital with "very serious" injuries, she said. His condition was not immediately released.

After the standoff ended, Police Chief Robert White said the incident apparently was not a robbery attempt. "We're not sure if it was domestic related or if there were some other issues," he said.

The man had entered the National City Bank branch a little after 9 a.m. and briefly held the four employees hostage before releasing them unharmed, authorities said. With the gunman still inside the bank, police sent in a robot with food, but officers had difficulty establishing contact with the man, Smiley said. The gunman walked out just before noon and was shot.

National City spokeswoman Kristen Baird Adams referred questions to police.

"Our primary concern is the safety of our customers and employees and we're cooperating fully with police," she said from the bank's headquarters in Cleveland.

It was at least the second time this month that a gunman was reported at a Louisville bank on a Monday morning. Two men robbed a Chase bank branch in south Louisville on Aug. 6. Those suspects shot and wounded two employees before fleeing with an undetermined amount of money. No arrests have been made in the case.