Hostage-taker held supermarket cashier for hours in Berlin
A man held a cashier hostage in a supermarket in the Tempelhof-Schöneberg district of Berlin. A specialist unit freed the woman after an eleven-hour operation.
Hostage-taker held supermarket cashier for hours in Berlin
A man held a cashier hostage at a supermarket in the Tempelhof-Schöneberg district of Berlin on the evening. Police freed the woman after a more than eleven-hour operation in the early morning.
According to eyewitness reports, the perpetrator entered the shop shortly before closing time, around 22:00 local time. An employee told the German newspaper Bild that the attacker had been at the till, had not placed his goods on the conveyor belt and suddenly drew a knife.
The man then took the woman into his control. Other colleagues present in the shop fled the building and alerted the police.
A rescue operation lasting several hours developed on the scene, with the building being cordoned off. Police officers, including a specialist unit, as well as emergency services and the fire brigade arrived at the supermarket, according to news agency dpa.
A police negotiation team made contact with the man and attempted to persuade him to surrender. According to police spokesman Florian Nath, the hostage-taker made various impulsive demands that were difficult to understand and gave no indication of detailed planning.
In the morning, police decided to end the incident. During a specialist operation, the man was overcome with an electroshock weapon and arrested. The hostage was freed at approximately 09:20 local time.
According to police, the woman was in a state of shock and received first aid from paramedics before being taken to hospital. The arrested man, who was slightly injured, was also taken to hospital. "Fortunately, no one was seriously injured. Currently there are no reports of serious injuries," said Nath.
The motive of the suspect is 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)