Neighbor holds woman hostage after she went to investigate screams at his home, cops say

Screams coming from an apartment in downtown Des Moines drew the attention of a woman living nearby.

When she went over to the apartment July 23 to investigate, her neighbor, a 31-year-old man, took her captive at gunpoint, according to news releases from the Des Moines Police Department.

Inside the home, the man was also holding his girlfriend and a 1-year-old child hostage, police told WHO 13.

The woman, remaining “calm-headed,” managed to persuade her neighbor to set her and the toddler free after about an hour, police told the outlet.

After leaving the apartment with the child, the woman made a “terrifying 911 call,” informing police of the ongoing hostage situation. The call set off a massive emergency response that would encompass half the state of Iowa, which ended in one death hours later, police said.

While dispatchers scrambled to contact crisis negotiators, officers rushed to the apartment. But upon entering, they found no one inside.

An “intense” hourslong search then ensued, police said.

Officers fanned out across the Hawkeye State as detectives interviewed the woman and collected information on the suspect, identified by police as Joshua Paul Thompson.

A tactical response unit made contact with Thompson and unsuccessfully attempted to negotiate a peaceful resolution, police said.

After his approximate location was eventually pinpointed in the southeast corner of the state, a sheriff’s deputy spotted his vehicle. A car chase began, which included state troopers and local law enforcement, according to police.

Thompson eventually stopped in Burlington, about 170 miles southeast of Des Moines, and “died at the scene of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot injury,” police said. The hostage, believed to be a 31-year-old woman, was then rescued.

“The dedication, professionalism, and swift response by officers and dispatchers in Des Moines, and across the state, prevented a dangerous situation from becoming a greater tragedy,” police said.

A spokesperson for the Des Moines Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News.

This story was originally published July 25, 2023 at 10:03 AM with the headline "Neighbor holds woman hostage after she went to investigate screams at his home, cops say."