Armed man barricaded in Gozée, school evacuated as precaution
A man barricaded himself in his home in Gozée with several weapons, triggering a major police operation. A school in the village was evacuated.
Deployment of specialist forces in Gozée following armed standoff
A man barricaded himself in his home in Gozée, in Hainaut province, with several weapons, according to Google News BE FR based on local sources including RTL Info, Sudinfo and Le Soir. Specialist forces were dispatched to the scene and a security perimeter was established around the property.
As a precaution, a school located nearby was evacuated. "Parents were worried," RTL Info reported. The authorities asked the population to respect the security perimeter established in the village.
The police deployment is described as major by several Belgian media outlets: a helicopter was deployed and several streets were blocked in the surrounding area. According to Sudinfo, the man was alone in his home at the time of the incident.
RTBF and DHnet described the situation as a "Fort Chabrol" — an expression designating an individual who refuses to surrender and barricades himself at home against police forces. The situation was still ongoing at the time of initial reports.
No injuries were reported immediately. The circumstances that led the man to barricade himself, as well as his personal situation, have not been clarified by the authorities.
Source: Google News BE FR