Kidnapping ends in police shoot-out; victim still missing

New Orleans police officers shot and wounded an armed robbery suspect late Wednesday evening in a Gert Town shootout, following an odd chain of events that included a robbery and an apparent kidnapping.

The abducted man, Roy Wolfe, 34, of Slidell, is still missing, police said.

Police have arrested two suspects, including the 19-year-old man an officer shot in the arm, who is in stable condition at a local hospital, according to a NOPD news release.

A third suspect is at large.

NOPD gave the following account of the crimes:

Three men with guns robbed a man in the in the 1700 block of South Lopez Street at about 2 p.m. Wednesday. The men exited a blue Dodge Neon and approached the victim while he repaired a house in the Broadmoor neighborhood. The robbers then held the man captive until his relative, Roy Wolfe, returned. When Wolfe did, the three gunmen forced Wolfe into Wolfe's truck and fled -- all the way to Slidell, where Wolfe lived.

Three hours after the Broadmoor robbery, at 5 p.m., Slidell police responded to a report of a burglary at Wolfe's home. Neighbors told police they saw Wolfe outside his home with three unknown men. A silver Mazda Tribute was parked outside the house.

That's the last time anyone saw Wolfe.

At about 10:30 p.m., NOPD officers received a tip that Wolfe's truck, a silver Chevrolet Silverado extended cab truck, was traveling near North Broad Street and Washington Avenue.

Officers followed the truck in an unmarked car. Occupants of the truck fired gunshots at the police, who followed the truck on Washington Avenue and more officers flooded the area.

Officers traded gunfire with the fugitives until they fled the vehicle.

At the intersection of Drexel Place and Pine Street, a 19-year-old man leveled a gun at the officers and continued to fire. The officers returned gunfire and a bullet struck the suspect in the arm.

Another suspect was arrested at the scene. A third suspect fled.