The hostage situation at the Apple Store in the Dutch city of Amsterdam ended abruptly on Tuesday night when the suspect was hit by a police car as he fled the store in pursuit of the hostage.
The incident began around 5:40 p.m. local time (11:40 a.m. ET) on Tuesday, Feb. 22, when police received reports of gunfire at a store in a busy Leidseplein area just over a mile from Amsterdam Central Station.
Some reports suggested the incident began as an armed robbery, and the suspect suddenly took hostages when police officers appeared. While police were near the store, all but one of the hostages managed to escape the siege in the following hours.
The hostage situation is currently ongoing at the Apple Store on Leidseplein. To ensure the safety of all people involved, we cannot share information about the situation and / or the actions of the police.
– Police Unit Amsterdam (@POL_Amsterdam) February 22, 2022
The photo shows that the suspect – reportedly a 27-year-old man from outside the Netherlands – clasped his hand around the neck of the remaining hostage.
During the siege, the suspect contacted a local news outlet AT5, demanding cryptocurrency payment and secure exit from the store. He also sent a selfie showing what looked like a bomb.
At about 10:45 p.m., about five hours after the incident began, the hostage fled the store while the suspect chased after him. The graphic footage taken by the witness shows a police car driving at high speed towards the man and knocking him to the ground. The hostage escaped unharmed.
When the suspect stayed down, police sent a robot to find out if it was a real bomb. Confirming that it was a forgery, officers arrested the man before sending him to the hospital. It is assumed that no one was injured during the siege.
The Dutch police plan to provide more information about the incident at a press conference on Wednesday morning.
So far Apple stores were the object of robberies in the past such hostage incidents have been rare. The tech giant has yet to comment on what happened at its store in Amsterdam on Tuesday night.
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The siege of the Apple Store in Amsterdam ended dramatically
Source link The siege of the Apple Store in Amsterdam ended dramatically