Houston murder suspect in Chicago standoff

Published: Aug 20, 2024 Duration: 00:02:39 Category: News & Politics

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Okay, we are back at 715, and we are actually following breaking news out of Chicago at this hour, where a man wanted for a murder here in Houston is involved in a standoff with police. And right now, he's holed up inside a restaurant. And this is all taking place not far from the site of the Democratic National Convention, again in Chicago. Joni Lamb with our sister station in Chicago is there live right now. So talk to us about what you're seeing and what's unfolding there right now. Good morning. Well, we are just blocks from United Center, where the Democratic National Convention is taking place. We are on Western Avenue and just down the street is the scene of this standoff between police and this person who is wanted for murder in Houston. Houston authorities identified him as 30 year old Joshua Zimmerman, who was charged with murder. The murder of 23 year old Kenyatta Mercer, now, apparently, Zimmerman left Houston and then was wanted in Mississippi right now, though, here in Chicago, there's a scene right down the street. You can see some police squad cars and some police tape that has taped off. That's a little strip mall and a grocery store in that strip mall just east of where the squad cars are, is a restaurant where it's believed that Zimmerman is Mississippi. Authorities confirmed that he's accused of carjacking and murder there. He escaped custody in DeSoto County, walked out of a courthouse. They have video of him, and then he made his way to Chicago. This restaurant has been surrounded since yesterday at 4:00. It's been an active scene all night long. It remains blocked off today on this very busy street. Police were seen using a ladder in the restaurant next door. They got out their gas masks. They had other surveillance equipment out of their Swat vehicle. They believe that he may have crawled up into the ceiling of the restaurant and they might be trying to get up there to in the restaurant next door. Then we could see it in full view, right across the street. But they asked us to move our cameras back. We are now a block away while their operation continues, and as I said, this is just blocks away from the United Center. There are multiple streets here that are blocked off for the DNC police on every corner here. So it's unusual that an escaped murder suspect would be holed up here and in a standoff with authorities reporting live in Chicago. I'm Johnny Lum. Now, back to you. All right, Johnny, thanks a lot. You heard her say there. He's been holed up since yesterday. You don't see a thing after taking this long, but

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