THE HAGUE
A man with a gun who was holding several people hostage at Apple’s flagship store in central Amsterdam was subdued on Tuesday evening after an hour-long siege, police said, adding that the last of the hostages had been released.
The police had deployed several special units to “control the situation” after being alerted to an armed robbery at 5:40 p.m. (4:40 p.m. GMT) which quickly turned into a hostage situation.
Police said the shooter “was lying in the street and a robot was examining him for explosives” outside the store on Leidseplein in the heart of the Dutch city.
“We managed to arrest the hostage taker by hitting him with a car as he ran outside,” a later tweet said.
“We now know the suspect had no explosives on his body and medical personnel are now dealing with him.”
The last hostage held in the store was safe and sound, they added.
“Since the start of the hostage-taking (…) several people have managed to leave the store,” they said earlier.
Leidseplein is popular with tourists and known for its lively bars and cafes. The area was quickly sealed off and restaurants, bars and theaters closed after the hostage taking.
Police were monitoring images circulating on social media that would potentially be used in an investigation, they added.
Dutch public television NOS said the hostage taker was injured and taken to an ambulance.
Tim Wagemakers, a freelance journalist who was in a nearby building, tweeted that there were heavily armed police at the site, adding that residents had been asked to stay inside and stay away from their windows .
The building he was in was evacuated during the hostage crisis.
Footage on social media showed an assailant holding a man at gunpoint, local media reported. Several witnesses heard gunshots inside the Apple Store, according to outlet AT5.
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