Dutch police announced Tuesday evening the end of the hostage taking in an Apple Store on one of the main squares of Amsterdam, in the Netherlands, which lasted several hours, specifying that the armed man was in the hands of the law enforcement. “We managed to arrest the hostage taker by hitting him with a vehicle when he ran out” of the shop, police said on Twitter, citing “violent images” of the scene circulating on social media .
The suspect “did not have any explosives on him”
After examining the man lying in the street with a robot, “we now know that the suspect had no explosives on his body and medical personnel are now dealing with him”, said she added. The hostage-taking lasted several hours, keeping residents around Leidseplein, a place in downtown Amsterdam popular with Amsterdammers and tourists, especially for its many bars and cafes, in suspense.
The square was quickly cordoned off, cafes and theaters closed. People present in the square when the hostage-taking began were asked to take refuge in cafes, under the orders of the police, and journalists were kept at a distance. Several people were released from the Apple Store during the evening, police said, without specifying the total number of individuals taken hostage. The local media speak of several dozen people.
Gunshots heard in the shop
Police said they are unable to provide information on the condition and identity of the hostage taker at this time. Images filmed by Internet users circulated on social networks, showing in particular an armed man holding another unarmed man and according to the media AT5, several witnesses heard gunshots in the shop earlier in the evening.
The police, who were on site throughout the evening with numerous specialized units, did not report any injuries. But according to Dutch public television NOS, the hostage taker was injured during his arrest and was taken care of in an ambulance.
Balie wordt nu ontruimd op verzoek polity https://t.co/nXEKvD3lEI
— Tim Wagemakers (@TimSW) February 22, 2022
An Apple Store robbery turned into a hostage situation
Police had received a report of an armed robbery at 5:40 p.m. (1640 GMT), according to NOS. This alleged robbery then turned into a hostage situation. Freelance journalist Tim Wagemakers, who was in another building overlooking the square, said on Twitter that he saw police officers with guns drawn.
“The square has been emptied, people are locked in bars, doors are closed” and people must “get away from windows”, he said earlier in the evening. The building Mr Wagemakers was in has since been evacuated.