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An hours-long hostage crisis at the Apple Store in Amsterdam concluded late Tuesday with police in a car colliding with the hostage-taker as he fled. According to the authorities, his prisoner was unharmed.
In a tweet, police stated, “We can confirm that the hostage-taker has exited the Apple Store.” “A robot is inspecting him for explosives while he lies on the street.” He is being held at a distance by armed police officers. “There is no danger to the hostage.”
The individual had no explosives, according to police, and he was being treated by medical personnel. His condition had not been revealed. The incident’s cause remained unclear at the time. The attempted armed robbery, according to local station AT5, was the cause of the standoff. Witnesses, according to AT5, claimed to have heard gunshots.
Hundreds of police officers, including heavily armed specialist arrest teams, surrounded the store, evacuated and sealed the surrounding Leidseplein plaza, and urged residents to stay inside their homes, stores, and cafés. The square, which is surrounded by bars and restaurants, is near one of the main retail streets in the Dutch city.
During the standoff, scores of customers were able to flee the building, but police refused to elaborate on the situation at the popular store.
A helicopter could be heard flying overhead as police lines were built up to keep people away from the store. “For the protection of the people involved and our deployment,” police advised that no photographs or livestreams of the hostage crisis be published or broadcast.
An armed person was seen in the store earlier this week, possibly holding someone else, according to video posted on social media. The number of persons in the store was unknown.
Apple’s representative in the Netherlands did not respond to a request for comment.
