Cell Phone Video Shows Irving Police Shoot, Kill Hostage Taker
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IRVING (CBSDFW.COM) – The moment a pair of Irving police officers shot and killed a robbery suspect outside a check check cashing store was captured by cellphone video.
An employee of a nearby furniture store recorded the hostage situation not long after it started Friday afternoon. His video, shot from only a few feet away, offers an up-close perspective of the tense situation.
The first officer on the scene said he watched as the suspect violently grabbed a hostage -- a female employee of the Cash Store -- yelling that he would "kill" her.
"She was grateful we were able to intervene," said police spokesman James McLellan.
The hostage taker worked his way around to the side of the building, according to police, and tried to force the woman into his car. There was a brief standoff before officers shot and killed the suspect.
"I heard what I thought was a tire blowing out of a car and then I realized it was a gunshot. I turned to my right and I saw the man lying on the ground and a bunch of cops were by the door," a witness said.
Watch Unedited Video Here - Viewers Strongly Cautioned
The same store was robbed, according to police, at gunpoint on January 14. Another store not far from it was robbed in North Irving a few days prior.
Investigators are working to determine if the robberies are connected.
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