$1 million bail for man at center of hostage standoff

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — A gunman who fired several shots at a pair of Southern California police officers, hitting one, and held two people hostage for nearly nine hours was booked Thursday on suspicion of attempted murder, a sheriff’s official said.

Christopher Warsaw, 45, was being held on $1 million bail, said Los Angeles County sheriff’s Deputy Guillermina Saldana.

Warsaw was arrested late Wednesday after engaging police in a nearly nine-hour standoff after taking his girlfriend and her 14-year-old daughter hostage, authorities said. He fired at officers who responded to a 12:30 p.m. family disturbance call from the home.

The worst injury occurred when an Inglewood policeman was shot in his bulletproof vest. He was taken to a hospital in good condition but “in a lot of pain,” police Capt. James D. Madia said.

The second officer was not hit but was hurt when she fell down in the chaos that followed, Madia said. She was treated at a hospital and released.

The gunman, his girlfriend and her daughter all came away unharmed, police said.