One woman is hurt and a man is in custody after a four-hour standoff in Smithville.
Police responded to a call of shots fired at the Smithville Housing Authority apartments near F Highway and Maple Avenue around 8:45 p.m. Wednesday.
A woman was shot in the hand and the neck. When police arrived, the male suspect would not come out of the apartment.
Woman is shot at Smithville Housing Authority by man who refused to come out for police. 4 hrs later, Op 100 ends with the man in custody. pic.twitter.com/1GlewWP7zq
— Jason Gould (@OvernightPhotog) September 22, 2016
Police say the surrounding apartments were evacuated while authorities tried to get the suspect.
Smithville Police and Clay County Sheriff's Department tried to make contact with the suspect by phone.
"When you're dealing with an incident where someone's shot, it's always a safety concern. Every officer that starts his or her shift starts with the intention of going home safe and sound to their family and loved ones. We prefer that everybody in law enforcement and in the community end their shift like they start. Safe and sound," explained Jason Lockridge, Smithville Police chief.
Emilie Rule said she has lived in the housing area for 1.5 years and has never seen anything like this. She saw police surrounding her neighborhood and was unable to get inside her home for more than four hours.
"Recently we've had a couple people move in... There's been a issues -- speeding through the neighborhood, people assuming bad things going on in their apartments. We've had bad people come into the neighborhood," said Rule.
Police say the surrounding apartments were evacuated while authorities tried to get the suspect.
The suspect was taken into custody before 1 a.m.
The woman’s injuries are not life-threatening.
Police said the prosecutor's office will file charges against the suspect.
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Belinda Post can be reached at belinda.post@kshb.com.
