29-year-old suspect in custody after armed standoff outside Hayat Pharmacy

 

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- A Milwaukee police standoff outside Hayat Pharmacy, near 54th and Capitol, that lingered all afternoon and well into the night finally ended about seven hours later. 

According to police, they are investigating an attempted armed robbery that occurred Wednesday, May 22 near Fond du Lac and Capitol. 

Police say the suspect, a 29-year-old, fled the scene on foot and entered the open business, located near 54th and Capitol. The suspect attempted to hide from officers. 

Police say a tactical setup was established, and crisis negotiators responded to the scene. 

Our cameras were there as half a dozen Milwaukee police officers escorted what appeared to be a man in handcuffs out of the building a little before 9 p.m on Wednesday, May 22.  

Employees and patients from Capitol Professional Building at 54th and Capitol Drive were finally allowed to get back inside the building a little after 9 p.m. to gather their belongings that they had left behind in a hurry hours earlier.

"We left everything behind. Some of my patients' belongings inside my car keys their bags, you know my colleagues the same thing," said Dr. Aymen Khogali who works in the building.

Commotion outside an examining room got the attention of Dr. Aymen Khogali Wednesday afternoon.

"It was like 'who is it, is there anybody there? Get out,'" said Dr. Khogali.

Milwaukee police ordered everyone to get out fast. On another side of the professional building, workers tell us they saw the man with the gun. They say he walked in, locking the door behind him, dropping a gun, then picking it up and disappearing down a hallway.

"That's when we saw the cops were in there. Next thing you know they had to draw their guns so at this point we just took cover," said Devonna Dixon, employee of Hayat Pharmacy.

Workers at the health clinics evacuated fast, but Hayat Pharmacy could not. They, instead, remained holed up together in a break room for a terrifying 30 minutes until police let them know they could leave.

"We were just kind of like in shock but calm at the same time because I mean what can we do, we can't panic about it. I was just hearing the cops saying 'hey come out, you need to evacuate you know,'" said Devonna Dixon, employee of Hayat Pharmacy.

Capitol Professional Building houses a pharmacy plus multiple medical clinics and was packed when this all unfolded around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday afternoon.

Police say a firearm was recovered, and the investigation is ongoing. 

Charges are pending review by the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office.