Amsterdam Apple store hostage situation ends after man held captive escapes

A man who was arrested in Amsterdam after a person was held at gunpoint for several hours in an Apple flagship store in the Dutch capital on Tuesday night had explosives on his body, Amsterdam police said on Wednesday.

“We are investigating the possible motives of the hostage taker and the explosives he carried on his body,” police said in a statement. “Investigation has shown that the explosives were not ready to detonate.”

The hours-long standoff at the store ended dramatically late on Tuesday after Amsterdam police drove into the heavily armed suspected hostage-taker with a speeding car on the central Leidseplein square in front of the store.

The suspect, a 27-year-old man from Amsterdam, carried a pistol and an automatic rifle, with which he fired at least four shots when police arrived at the square at about 6pm local time, Amsterdam police chief Frank Pauw told a news conference early on Wednesday.

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The man was arrested after he ran out of the building shortly after 10.30pm, to chase the hostage, who had managed to escape. The suspect was then promptly knocked down by a car driven by a policeman, leaving him with serious injuries.

The man, who had a criminal record, had contacted the police during the hostage-taking episode to demand a ransom of €200 million in cryptocurrencies and safe passage out of the building, Mr Pauw said.

“He threatened a hostage with a gun and threatened to blow himself up, so we took it very seriously,” Amsterdam newspaper Parool quoted the police chief as saying.

Breakthrough

The hostage, described by police as a Bulgarian man, fled from the building when a police robot delivered water to the door of the store, at the request of the hostage taker.

“The hostage played a heroic role by forcing a breakthrough,” Mr Pauw said. “Otherwise, this could have been a long night.”

Police said on Wednesday the arrested man was the only suspect in the incident.

During the evening, about 70 people were able to leave the store while the hostage situation was ongoing. There were no reports of any other injuries.

“We are so incredibly grateful and relieved that our employees and customers in Amsterdam are safe after this terrifying experience,” Apple said in a statement, thanking Dutch police for “exceptional work”. – Reuters