The moment police moved in (ABC7)
REDLANDS – Authorities shot and killed a man who had abducted his ex-girlfriend from an Office Depot, where she worked, on Thursday afternoon.
Suspect and victim before the shooting (ABC7)
While Kristin Bauer, 28, was listed in critical condition Thursday night, her boyfriend, Andrew Mike, 29, of Downey, was shot by police while negotiating with the police for her release.
“At 4:37, the suspect appeared to shoot (Bauer),” said Redlands police spokesman, Lt. Chris Catren, “and an officer involved shooting occurred resulting in the death of the suspect.” Bauer was suffering from severe injuries.
Suspect just before the shooting (ABC7)
Once Mike had been shot, disabling him, police were able to drag Bauer to safety and eventually air lifted to nearby Loma Linda University Medical Center. Reports said that she had been shot in the torso.
According to various news reports, Mike said he “wasn’t afraid to die.”
Shortly after 2 p.m., police responded to reports that shots were fired the Office Depot located at 602 Orange Street, part of a shopping center that included several restaurants, markets, various stores and a bank.
Quickly cordoning off the area and thus creating a traffic gridlock throughout the area, police learned that Mike had abducted Bauer from her job, holding off police for nearly three hours.
Victim is shot (Redlands Daily Facts)
Authorities eventually learned that Mike and Bauer had argued earlier that day. Mike tracked Bauer to her job site, confronted her inside the store, produced a handgun and took a shot at her, missing and hitting a bystander.
Police said the bystander had been shot in the finger.
Eventually, Mike left the Office Depot through the back entrance, taking Bauer with him as a hostage. He led her across Sixth Street and onto High Avenue, tracked by police, where the standoff continued on the sidewalk.
Police tried negotiating with Mike for at least two hours. While several Southern California news cameras focused in on Mike, who was holding a cell phone, he had a gun jammed into Bauer’s back.
Bystander also shot (Redlands Daily Facts)
Mike and Bauer sat on the High Avenue sidewalk while police attempted to negotiate his surrender. Part of the drama included Bauer’s father, Greg Bauer, talking to Mike on the phone.
Office Depot employees were able to get store customers to safety in addition to getting themselves out of danger while police cleared remaining businesses nearby.
Fire trucks were parked in strategic locations in order to cut off traffic on all sides of the market place.
Catren said Bauer’s “most recent condition given was critical.”
