A 44-year-old St Joseph man is being held without bail awaiting a first appearance in court next week on charges of kidnapping, domestic assault and armed criminal action. The charges stem from a daylong police standoff at a St Joseph Motel on Wednesday.

Roderick Ellis is accused of taking Rebecca Urban hostage where she worked and forcing her to drive to the Motel Six.

Investigators say he shot her in the arm when she cried for help. He is accused of holding her at gunpoint for about eleven hours until he surrendered at around 7pm Wednesday.

If convicted on the most serious of the charges Mr Ellis could land in prison for life. Domestic Assault in the first degree with serious physical injury is a Class-A Felony, which carries a range of punishment of from 10 to 30 years or life imprisonment.