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KCPD use 'less-lethal munitions' to resolve standoff at Truman Sports Complex

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Posted at 12:49 PM, Sep 12, 2020
and last updated 2020-09-12 23:30:58-04

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — An hours-long standoff with an armed man at Truman Sports Complex ended peacefully on Saturday.

Kansas City, Missouri, police responded around 10:30 a.m. Saturday to Arrowhead Stadium on reports of a party armed with a gun. Police said the armed individual fired shots at Arrowhead employees, but nobody was injured.
Officers were able to move the employees to safety and rescued one employee who was fired at.

The man, who has not yet been identified, was taken into custody shortly after 6 p.m., according to KCPD Capt. David Jackson. Two guns and a knife were recovered.

Jackson said that tactical officers devised a plan around 6 p.m. to use "less-lethal munitions" to end the standoff.

Earlier in the day, police had been conducting "verbal deescalation techniques" with the armed subject but the negotiations had "limited success."

"Our negotiators and our tactical crews have made contact with the person," Jackson said prior to the man being taken into custody. "He's a little all over the place about what's going on, so not really sure what we're dealing with right now. So it's a dangerous situation for sure."

Police were in communication with both the Kansas City Chiefs and the Royals throughout the standoff. The Royals originally were scheduled to face the Pittsburgh Pirates at 6:05 p.m., but the start time was pushed back to 6:35 p.m.

MLB Network's Jon Heyman reported around 2:40 p.m. that the Pirates were "delayed at a team hotel" due to the standoff. While Toby Cook, of the Royals, could not confirm that report, he told 41 Action News that Royals players were "coming in and we're putting them in a safe location and getting them into the stadium."

Royals Manager Mike Matheny said he arrived at Kauffman Stadium around the same time that the standoff began. He told media shortly after 3:30 p.m. that the team was in the stadium for pregame work.

Pirates players arrived at Kauffman Stadium shortly after 5:30 p.m., according to Cook.

A Royals cameraman told 41 Action News they were "never in any danger."

"They called us and told us ahead of time," Ron Swann said," and we had text messages, so I didn't feel like I was in any real danger."

41 Action News reached out to Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas's office for a statement on the standoff and was directed to a tweet in which Lucas said he is "closely monitoring" the situation. Following the man being taken into custody, Lucas tweetedthat it was a "good resolution" by KCPD.

The Truman Sports Complex has been shut down due to the standoff, which was contained in a parking lot south of Arrowhead.

The man had no connection to Arrowhead Stadium, according to Jackson, and police plan to interview him to determine his motives.

Police said the man is being booked on criminal charges associated with the shooting.