By LINDA MAN
A 29-year-old man died today amid a burst of gunfire after holding off police for roughly 18 hours in Independence.
Police did not release the name of the victim who had barricaded himself in the 16400 block of Gudgell Road.
According to police:
The fracas started at 9:27 a.m. Monday, when officers attempted to check on the welfare of some children who had not been registered for school. Officers were greeted by three adults, who talked to them through the door. The children were not inside.
By 11:20 a.m., a man and a woman agreed to leave. One man stayed inside.
Police attempted to communicate with the man, but he did not respond. The man had a parole violation and some city warrants, police said.
Some time later, officers kicked down the door and entered the home, but the man fired two shots at them from the basement.
The Police Department’s special-response team was activated at 11:43 p.m. The man told police that he wasn’t coming out, and he threatened to blow up the home.
Police then shot tear gas into the home.
Police said the man fired at officers about 3:30 a.m., and the officers returned fire. The man was found dead at 3:34 a.m. It had not been determined if he had shot himself or had been hit by police fire.
Police are continuing to investigate.
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