Berlin: Hostage situation in supermarket ended after eleven hours
Special units of the Berlin police ended an approximately eleven-hour hostage situation in a supermarket in the Marienfelde district. The perpetrator was arrested and the employee held hostage was freed.
Berlin: Hostage situation in supermarket ended after eleven hours
Special units of the Berlin police (SEK) ended a hostage situation in a supermarket in the Marienfelde district on Saturday morning at 09:20. The perpetrator was arrested and the shop assistant held hostage was freed. The incident had occurred on Friday evening shortly before the shop closed, on Hildburghauser Straße.
According to Capital.gr, citing Bild, the man was said to have been incapacitated with an electroshock weapon (Taser) following the intervention of the special forces. He was subsequently carried out of the shop on a stretcher. The hostage was taken to safety under police protection.
According to witness accounts, the man was the last customer in the shop at around 22:00. When he refused to place his goods on the checkout belt, he suddenly drew a large knife in front of the cashier, according to 22-year-old employee Elijah C. The employee then fled and called for help.
The employee remained overnight in the shop with the armed man. Police cordoned off the area and deployed special units, negotiators and service dogs. The authorities attempted to persuade the perpetrator to surrender peacefully. As the man showed signs of exhaustion after many hours, the operation commander decided on a dynamic intervention. The operation lasted only a few minutes.
Police stated that both the perpetrator and the employee were injured during the incident. Detailed information about the health condition of both individuals was not initially available. The perpetrator and victim did not know each other, according to reports, which supported the assessment that it was a spontaneous incident.
Source: Google News GR — Crime (el)