Standoff concludes peacefully

Jace Radke

Wednesday, Nov. 11, 1998 | 11:25 a.m.

A nearly six-hour stand-off between Metro Police and a man holding a hostage in a house near Nellis Boulevard and Tropicana Avenue ended Tuesday when the man surrendered to police and was taken into custody -- barely an hour before a nearby elementary school prepared to let out for a midweek holiday.

"I just thank God that this didn't happen on Wednesday, because all the kids in the neighborhood would be out of school for Veterans Day," said a resident who lives near 5122 Gregg Place, the home were the stand-off took place. "If it had been Wednesday, my son would have been home."

Darnell Kidd, 36, was taken into custody about 2 p.m. Tuesday after holding a 48-year-old woman hostage in her residence, Lt. Rick Alba said.

Police believe that Kidd had been at 5122 Gregg Place Monday night, when he got into an argument with his ex-girlfriend, who was in the process of moving into the residence. Police responded to the residence Monday night on a report that Kidd had battered and attempted to kidnap his ex-girlfriend, but he had already left when police arrived.

Police received another call from the residence at about 8 a.m. Tuesday morning reporting that Kidd had returned, Alba said.

"He indicated to negotiators that he had a weapon and a hostage, and that he was looking for his girlfriend," Alba said. "Apparently his girlfriend left previous to his arrival."

Kidd will face charges of kidnapping, burglary, a felony weapons charge and a battery charge from Monday night, Alba said. No gun was found by police in the home, but kitchen knives were present.

Police evacuated about 10 houses in and around the Gregg Place cul de sac around 8 a.m., Alba said.

"I was supposed to be at work at 10 a.m.," said a resident who works at a valley Wal-Mart. "I had to call in and tell my boss that I couldn't come in because there was a hostage situation in my neighborhood."

The Whitney Library, at 5175 E. Tropicana, was closed by police during the stand-off because of its proximity to the crime scene.

A room was set up in the library for residents and older students returning from school. They were not allowed in the neighborhood until Kidd was in custody.

Two elementary schools near the crime scene -- Harmon and Ullom -- were notified of the situation by police, but never went to "shelter in place" status, in which schools keep students on the property if a dangerous situation is nearby, school officials said.