2 Cops Hurt in LA County Hostage Drama

A crisis negotiation team managed to bring a hostage standoff to a peaceful end last night after a tense nine hours. The standoff began when a man in an Inglewood home opened fire on two officers who arrived to investigate reports of a family disturbance. A male officer was hurt when he took a bullet in the chest, but his life was saved by his bulletproof vest, reports the Los Angeles Times. He is in good condition, and a female officer injured in a fall as she went to help her colleague was treated in hospital and released.

After opening fire, the gunman held two female hostages, believed to be his girlfriend and her 14-year-old daughter, captive while he talked to negotiators for hours. The 45-year-old, who police say has a criminal history, eventually let his hostages go and walked out of the house with his hands up. Neighbors evacuated from their homes during the standoff say they were preparing for Thanksgiving when they heard a barrage of gunfire. "There were so many gunshots, oh my God, it was like you were in a war zone," says an elderly neighbor who was baking a pie when a bullet came through her front door. (More Los Angeles County stories.)