Dutch police end hostage situation at Apple store in Amsterdam

The Hague, Feb 22 (EFE).- The man who held a hostage at gunpoint inside an Apple store in Amsterdam is in custody and no shoppers or employees were hurt, Dutch police said Tuesday.

“We can confirm that the hostage-taker is outside the Apple Store. He is lying on the street and is being searched for explosives by a robot. Police have guns trained on him from a distance. The hostage is safe,” the force said on Twitter.

Once they confirmed the suspect was not carrying explosives, police took him to a hospital, while the witnesses were brought to a nearby precinct to be interviewed by investigators.

Residents of Leidseplein, a square in central Amsterdam, posted videos filmed from outside the store showing a man pointing a handgun at another man.

The first call to police about a possible armed robbery at the store came at 5:40 pm and multiple units were deployed.

“There is an ongoing hostage situation at the Apple Store at Leidseplein at the moment. To ensure the safety of all people involved we are not able to share information about the situation and/or actions taken by the police,” the force tweeted about two hours after officers arrived on the scene. EFE ir/dr