Jun 25, 2008 9:36 am US/Central
Two Dead Following Standoff In Dolton
DOLTON, Ill. (CBS) ―
-
-
SWAT officers surround a gunman in Dolton after shooting him after he emerged from an apparent hostage situation armed with a gun. Witnesses said the gunman had just shot and killed his girlfriend.
CBS
A man and a woman were killed following a standoff in south suburban Dolton on Tuesday.
Witnesses said a gunman, Michael Rodgers, 34, of Park Forest, apparently killed the woman, Jeniel Morgan, 42, of South Holland, at her workplace before officers shot and killed him as he exited the building.
But video obtained by CBS 2 of what the suspect was doing just seconds before he was shot was raising questions.
CBS 2 Chief Correspondent Jay Levine reports that the standoff began just before 2 p.m. Tuesday afternoon with a call to police about a man holding hostages at the Illinois Vehicle Insurance company on Sibley Boulevard.
Neighbors said two women were working inside, one of them reportedly the girlfriend of the gunman. As police surrounded the building, officers tried to negotiate with the man, and witnesses said they heard what sounded like gunfire inside.
Eyewitness Charles Mann said, "We heard two early reports, gun reports and knew something was happening and come to the understanding that he had shot her."
A short time later, witnesses heard police tell the man to come outside. Video footage of the incident showed the man holding a cell phone in his left hand to his right ear, and what appeared to be a gun in his right hand, pointed down.
An instant later, as the camera swung away, gunshots rang out and seconds later, the man was on the ground, officers swarming around him.
Friends of the suspect told CBS 2 that as he left the building, the gunman was allegedly talking to his brother on his cell phone.
"He called his brother for help," a friend said. Asked what the brother said, the friend told CBS 2 "'Listen to the police and don't get killed.' And he listened to him and he still got killed."
Dolton police held a news conference after the incident, but revealed few details or explanations.
Assistant Chief Bolden Jones said, "We were negotiating with him as far as to, just to negotiate with him just to come out, but all that's under investigation. I don't want to go into it any further."
Other witnesses who watched the drama unfold were consistent in their stories.
Marcus Ward said, "He seemed to come out and they shot him. He politely walked out and then they shot him."
As some officers rushed to disarm the gravely wounded suspect, others went inside and found the man's girlfriend, Janelle Robinson, a mother of two and wife of a Cook County Sheriff's employee.
There were conflicting reports as to the motive of the shooting, though sources close to the investigation said the woman was the gunman's girlfriend and robbery was not a motive.
The STNG Wire contribtued to this report.Illinois State Police were also on the scene in an attempt to determine why officers opened fire on a man who appeared to be surrendering.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Celebrity Watcher: Real Or Fake?
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
Reporting
