Police identify man holding 4 kids hostage after shooting officer

FAN Editor

Last Updated Jun 11, 2018 4:33 PM EDT

ORLANDO, Fla. — Nearly 12 hours after a man suspected of battering his girlfriend and shooting a police officer barricaded himself inside an apartment with four young children, the standoff continues, according to police. Orlando Police Chief John Mina said the woman left the apartment late Sunday and alerted officers to the assault.

Mina said the victim identified Gary Wayne Lindsey Jr. as her alleged attacker. When officers confronted Lindsey, Mina said Lindsey shot at them, striking Officer Kevin Valencia, who underwent surgery and remains in critical condition.

Mina added that officers are working to negotiate a peaceful resolution. “We have spoken with him a couple of times, and he’s hung up the phone a couple of times,” said Mina, who stressed the safety of the children is top priority.

The suspect, who officials say has a criminal history, is the father of some of the children, according to Mina. The children are ages 1, 7, 10 and 11.

Officers had swarmed Lindsey’s apartment, near the Universal Orlando theme park. Gunfire was exchanged, but it’s unclear if Lindsey was shot, reports CBS Orlando affiliate WKMG.  

Officers evacuated other residents of the complex in the middle of the night. Some of them stood waiting in nearby restaurant parking lots, still wearing pajamas.

The wounded officer has been with the department less than two years. “We’re hoping for prayers from our community for our officer’s full recovery,” the station quoted Mina as saying. “It’s hard. It’s very traumatic when one of your officers is shot in the line of duty.”

Lindsey is currently on supervised probation for a felony arson conviction in Volusia County, according to court records from a 2008 arrest, which indicate he was initially charged with domestic battery in the case. He has been arrested four times for violations of that probation, according to records.

© 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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