Dutch police have ended a hostage-taking in an Apple flagship retailer in Amsterdam after a person armed with two weapons held at the very least one particular person hostage for hours.
Police stated on Wednesday that the suspected hostage-taker, a 27-year outdated man from Amsterdam, was arrested after he ran out of the constructing on the central Leidseplein sq., shortly after 10:30pm (21:30 GMT) on Tuesday.
“We managed to finish the scenario by hitting the hostage-taker with a automotive when he ran exterior,” police stated on Twitter, including that the person was being handled for severe accidents.
The person was carrying a pistol and an automated rifle, with which he fired at the very least 4 pictures when police arrived on the sq. roughly 6pm (17:00 GMT), Amsterdam police chief Frank Pauw informed a information convention on Wednesday morning.
A hostage-taker places his arm across the neck of a hostage on the Apple Retailer in Amsterdam [Dim Balsen/ANP/AFP]The person, who had a prison report, had contacted the police himself throughout the hostage-taking, demanding a ransom of 200 million euros ($226m) in cryptocurrencies and protected passage out of the constructing, Pauw stated.
“He threatened a hostage with a gun and threatened to blow himself up, so we took it very severely”, Amsterdam newspaper Parool quoted the police chief as saying.
‘A heroic function’
The scenario ended when the hostage, reportedly a 44-year outdated British man, fled from the constructing when a police robotic delivered water on the door of the store on the request of the hostage-taker.
The hostage-taker ran after the person and was rapidly hit by the automotive.
“The hostage performed a heroic function by forcing a breakthrough,” Pauw stated. “In any other case, this might have been a protracted night time.”
Throughout the night, about 70 individuals have been in a position to go away the store whereas the hostage-taking was happening. There have been no reviews of every other accidents.
The hostage-taker was severely injured, however in a position to communicate when he was arrested, police stated.
“We’re so extremely grateful and relieved that our workers and clients in Amsterdam are protected after this terrifying expertise,” Apple stated in an announcement, thanking Dutch police for “distinctive work”.
A police officer stands close to an Apple store in Amsterdam throughout a hostage incident [Piroschka van de Wouw/Reuters]
