Berlin supermarket: cashier freed after 11-hour hostage situation
In a supermarket in the Berlin district of Tempelhof-Schöneberg, a man took a cashier hostage and triggered a large-scale police operation. Police freed the woman 11 hours after the incident began.
Berlin supermarket: cashier freed after 11-hour hostage situation
In a supermarket in the Berlin district of Tempelhof-Schöneberg, a man took a cashier hostage and triggered a large-scale police operation. Police freed the woman 11 hours after the incident began.
According to witness statements, the man entered the supermarket yesterday evening shortly before closing time, at around 22:00 local time. An employee of the shop told the German newspaper Bild that the suspect was at the checkout, did not want to place his items on the conveyor belt and suddenly pulled a knife.
The man then took the woman hostage. Other employees present in the shop ran out of the building and called police.
At the scene, a lengthy rescue operation took place in which the building was cordoned off. Police arrived at the supermarket along with a special operations unit, emergency services and fire brigade, according to news agency dpa.
A police negotiating team made contact with the man and attempted to persuade him to surrender. The man made various impulsive demands from which it was difficult to discern a pattern and which did not suggest a detailed plan, police spokesman Florian Nath described the course of events.
In the morning, police decided to end the incident. The man was arrested in an operation by the special unit, during which a Taser was used. The hostage was freed at around 09:20 local time.
According to police, the woman was in a state of shock and received first aid from emergency personnel before being transported to hospital. The man, who sustained minor injuries during his arrest, was also taken to hospital. "Fortunately, no one was seriously injured. There are currently no reports of serious injuries," Nath said.
The suspect's motive remains unclear. According to initial findings, there is no indication that the man and the woman knew each other beforehand. Police emphasised that there was no danger to residents.
Source: Delfi
Source: Google News EE — Crime (et)