Lincoln man detained, hospitalized after SWAT team standoff

LINCOLN, Neb. - A Lincoln man was detained by authorities and is now being treated at a local hospital after taking a hostage Tuesday evening.

Lincoln Police were called to an apartment near 40th and St. Paul Avenue around 6:30 p.m. The caller said a 40-year-old man threatened to burn down the apartment complex and shoot his wife if he wasn't let into the apartment. The victim, fearing for her life, let the man into the apartment.

The eventual caller then escaped and alerted authorities, though a second victim was still inside the building with the suspect.

An LPD SWAT team eventually surrounded the building, serving a search warrant at the apartment. After negotiations with the suspect, officers were able to get him partially out of the apartment.

After the suspect refused to put his hands up or lift his shirt so officers could check for a gun, officers deployed what's known as a less-lethal weapon and a police service dog. Police say a less-lethal round hit the man on the left leg. He also sustained a dog bite on his right hand. Both of his injuries subdued the man long enough for officers to take him into custody around 2:30 a.m.

Officers said prior to detention, the man was yelling at police to shoot him. They said a search of the apartment revealed a handgun inside.

The man was taken to the hospital where he is being treated for two broken bones in his hand and a minor welt on his left leg. The victim inside the apartment was uninjured and able to escape with assistance from the police.

Once the man is released from the hospital, his name will be released and he’ll be arrested for terroristic threats, use of a weapon to commit a felony, first degree false imprisonment and third-degree domestic assault.

Police have yet to publicly identify the suspect.