Man barricaded in Gozée arrested after 48-hour manhunt by Charleroi police
A man on the run following a serious armed standoff in Gozée was arrested on Sunday by the Special Support Group of Charleroi's local police, ending 48 hours of searches.
Arrest in Gozée: end of manhunt after 48 hours
According to rtl.be, the man actively sought since Friday in Gozée, in the municipality of Thuin (Hainaut), was arrested on Sunday by the Special Support Group of local Charleroi police. The manhunt lasted nearly 48 hours.
It all began Friday morning, on Place des Combattants in Gozée, when numerous residents reported a significant police presence in the neighbourhood. "A street is blocked, it's very serious," one resident notably transmitted via the orange Alert Us button on RTL Info. A helicopter was also circling above the area.
The Charleroi public prosecutor's office confirmed in the morning that a serious armed standoff was underway: a man born in 1996 was reported to be barricaded alone in his home, in possession of weapons. Several teams from local police as well as special units of the federal police had been deployed on site.
Family conflict at the origin of events
In a statement published around 16:00 on Friday, the judicial authority clarified the context. It was following a family conflict that the suspect allegedly seized a weapon belonging to his father. The latter reportedly left the home to alert police. Shortly afterwards, a resident reportedly saw the suspect on the upper floor of the dwelling, armed with a long-barrelled weapon.
The special units were deployed on site given the dangerous nature of the situation. However, a thorough search of the building failed to locate the individual. "According to initial information, it would appear that the individual left the premises between the call to police services and the arrival of teams," the Charleroi prosecutor's office stated.
Flight without weapon, missing persons unit notified
The suspect allegedly left the premises without taking weapons with him. The prosecutor's office had then indicated that "the missing persons unit was notified," before searches intensified over the weekend.
It was finally on Sunday that the Special Support Group of local Charleroi police carried out the arrest of the fugitive, ending two days of searches mobilising significant human and material resources.
Source: Google News BE FR