JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind — The suspect in a Jeffersonville murder was arrested in Jeffersontown, Ky. early Friday morning after barricading himself and three hostages overnight.
Jeffersonville police responded to reports of a disturbance at an apartment on French Street at around 10:40 p.m. Wednesday. When they arrived, they found a woman screaming for help and a man unconscious and unresponsive. Chief Kenny Kavanaugh said the man was taken to Clark Memorial Hospital, where he later died.
During their initial investigation, detectives were told an altercation between family members led to the shooting. The suspect, identified as Ohio native Christian White, fled the scene before officers could arrive.
Jeffersonville police then contacted Jeffersontown officials Thursday afternoon with information on White's whereabouts.
Jeffersontown Police Chief Rick Sanders said they located White's car at the Chestnut Ridge Apartments on Balsam Way. When officers approached White and a woman walking to his car with him, they ran back into the apartment and White drew his gun.
Sanders said White then called Jeffersontown Police, telling police he had hostages and "would not go back [to prison] alive." LMPD and a SWAT were called to the scene.
Police identified three hostages: the woman they witnessed with him, another woman and her two-year-old son.
"I was looking out the living room window and I seen police officers fly in here," said Charles Barber, resident at Chestnut Ridge Apartments. "I got all the kids and everybody and I kept them inside all my grandkids."
As they tried to ring in the New Year, residents watched the standoff in horror.
60 police officers from Jeffersontown, LMPD and SWAT offered backup for the standoff that lasted for about 16 hours.
"It was just one of those things where you just pray everybody is okay," resident Angie Lin said. "This is not the best way to start off the new year."
At around midnight, Sanders said White released the two-year-old. At 2 a.m., one woman was released.
Sanders said they continued to negotiate with White before putting gas into the apartment at around 5:50 a.m. White and the hostage then ran out of the apartment, both apprehended without incident.
"A situation that I did not think would end as well as it end, ended as well as we could have hoped for," Sanders said.
White was taken into custody and brought to the Jeffersonville Police Department. Police will present murder charges to the Clark County Prosecutor. Sanders said they will execute search warrants to continue the investigation.
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