ST. LOUIS — A St. Louis man was charged Friday in connection with a hostage situation at a downtown St. Louis hotel on Wednesday.
William Gourley, 43, was charged with kidnapping, endangering the welfare of a child and multiple other crimes in connection with the Jan. 24 incident at the Drury Plaza Hotel just west of the Gateway Arch.
Police said the initial call came in at about 5:15 a.m. from a boy locked inside the bathroom with his brother. The young boy said Gourley was fighting with their mother and that he was armed with a weapon.
The officers were able to get the children out at about 10 a.m., police said, but Gourley remained barricaded in the room with their mother for hours.
Police said the woman was released at 3:40 p.m. and Gourley surrendered just before 4:30 p.m. Gourley had no injuries and was transported to a local hospital for evaluation.
According to a law enforcement source, police called his relatives to help with the negotiations.
Gourley was charged with three counts of kidnapping, two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and five counts of armed criminal action.
According to online court records, Gourley has a history of criminal activity. In 2018, he was sentenced to prison in connection with a 2016 armed robbery in St. Louis County.
A statement from the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department said Gourley was still undergoing an evaluation at the hospital.
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