DES MOINES – An Iowa man took hostages and fled from police, taking one person with him, and ultimately deleted himself as cops closed in miles away from where the turmoil started.
Just before 10 AM on Sunday, July 22, 2023, police say a terrifying 911 call reporting an armed hostage situation launched an emergency response that would ultimately span half the state and result in the dramatic rescue of a kidnapping victim.
Des Moines police officers responded to the 1700 block of High Street after a woman reported being held at gunpoint in an apartment by a male neighbor after she went to check on the cries for help from a female in that same apartment. After nearly an hour, she was released, bringing a small child out of the apartment with her.
After receiving the call, patrol officers raced to the apartment while our team of dispatchers began calling in tactical resources and crisis negotiators. Patrol officers made entry into the apartment to find it empty, this starting an intense, nearly two-hour, search.
While officers spanned out around the city, Crimes Against Persons detectives interviewed the released victim, and gathered information on the kidnapping suspect, Joshua Paul Thompson.
Information was gathered that Crisis Negotiators from the Metro STAR team were able to use to reach Thompson and attempts to bring a peaceful and safe resolution began.
Detectives provided additional information to our dispatchers and they were able to identify an approximate location of Thompson and the kidnapping victim, and a direction of travel towards SE Iowa. This information was quickly shared with authorities in that area of the state.
An alert Des Moines County Sheriff’s Office deputy a spotted Thompson’s vehicle, and a chase began. Joined in the effort by Iowa State Patrol troopers, and officers from the Burlington Iowa Police Department and West Burlington Police Department, the chase continued until Thompson’s vehicle came to a stop in Burlington. Thompson died at the scene of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot injury. His victim was rescued at the scene.
