WLS Channel 7 - News - "Armed Gunman Inside Channel 7 Building" (Part 3, 1990)

Here's Part 3 (the final part) of WLS Channel 7's news coverage of an armed robbery suspect who hid out for 40 hours at the 190 North State Street building that houses the station.

This part begins with anchors Jim Rosenfield and Sylvia Perez at the Eyewitness News desk. The tape comes in as Sylvia explains that the third floor where the studios are have been sealed, and that no one in the building would be let in or out. They then introduce Paul Meincke who's still outside the building, and he is explaining that the police have several theories about the suspect, Fidel Kane, plus going on about the building's construction with many false ceilings and a "building within a building," and mentioning that he had been in the building for the past 37 hours, so far eluding K-9 and manned searches in and around the building and the area around it. Paul recounts how a resident of the high-rise Dearborn apartments saw the suspect on one of the top floors of the building around 9:00pm, trying to escape from a 10th-floor window but foiled by mesh, and then climbing up to one of the false ceilings to get further above. Paul reports that there is an unconfirmed reports of another building worker spotting the suspect. Sylvia interrupts Paul to say it's hard to believe that it could be a copycat, and Jim recounts how one of the theories of this being a hostage situation is false. Paul mentions that there's a big crowd outside the building (some of whom have waved to the camera behind him), and that they're interested in what's going on, what with the squad cars and K-9 units. Sylvia mentions that this is at least the third K-9 search since this drama began 37 hours before. Paul says that a police officer told him that some dogs have a better sense of smell than others.

There is then a repeat of the video piece that was played on the 10pm edition, with shots of the Eyewitness News studio and cameras, Police Sgt. Frank Srabia in the WLS control room, Lou Malnati's Pizzeria, Officer Phil Doyce in the lobby, Sylvia and Dick Johnson at the Sears Tower transmitter site, and Chuck Goudie interviewing WLS President and General Manager Joe Ahern outside the building.

Back to the studio, Sylvia explains the suspect's sisters may be or are back in the building. She and Jim recount Chuck's interview with them, and she mentions the sisters said the suspect had some financial problems, and the police said he had a prior record plus a drug habit. Jim then mentions it was fortunate this happened on a weekend when not as many people are in the building. They then go back to Paul Meincke outside, as he's trying to get the camera adjusted to him after it tries to go upwards to show the circle 7 logo in the building entrance. Paul reports he has "good strong reason to believe that the person in the building is not a copycat," but is in fact the armed robber Fidel Kane; and that the suspect was not seen by police up to that point.

Sylvia then emphasizes that nobody's lives are at risk, that there are police in the studio making sure everybody is okay, that they have secured the building, and that it is not a hostage situation. She then says they will keep viewers posted as further information develops, and she and Jim say good night.

[NOTE: The suspect was finally apprehended approximately three hours after this broadcast.]

This aired on local Chicago TV on Sunday, August 26th 1990.

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