Woman, boyfriend held hostage by her estranged husband

PHOENIX - A woman used painkillers and wine to coax her estranged husband to sleep, ending a 10-hour hostage situation on Tuesday.

Phoenix police say the woman and her boyfriend were watching a movie at her home near 35th Avenue and Thunderbird around 1:30 p.m. when her ex-husband, 54, appeared in the bedroom doorway with a gun.

"He kept them in the house all afternoon and evening," Phoenix Police Sgt. Tommy Thompson told 92.3 KTAR. "They were certain he was going to kill them."

But around 9 p.m. the suspect began complaining of back pain, which gave the woman an idea.

"She gave him Percocet and wine thinking he would nod off," Thompson said. "That caused him to fall asleep long enough for her boyfriend to get out of the house and call police."

The suspect eventually chased after the boyfriend and confronted him in the front yard when officers arrived. When the suspect tried to re-enter the home, he found the front door locked.

"As the officers moved in, he was pulling on the door, ignoring their commands to keep his hands up," Thompson said. "At one point he turned and pointed a gun at [the officers]. They perceived that as a deadly threat and fired upon the suspect."

The suspect, who has not been named, was shot multiple times and later died from his injuries. None of the officers were injured.