Woman Freed As Berlin Hostage Standoff Comes To An End

Edited by: Karl Sexton

A man allegedly took a woman hostage at a supermarket in the German capital, Berlin, triggering a major police operation, officials said Saturday.

Police said the operation began at about 10 p.m. on Friday, after officers were called out to the Rewe supermarket in the Marienfelde district on the southern outskirts of Berlin.

The suspect was later overwhelmed by police and the hostage was freed after an 11-hour standoff.

What do we know about the hostage situation in Berlin?

A 22-year-old male employee of the supermarket told German news agency dpa that a man had brandished a “very big” knife shortly before the market closed on Friday evening.

The male employee ran out of the supermarket with a colleague and contacted police.

The employee said the female hostage also worked at the supermarket, and “was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Police, who have yet to provide a motive, did not confirm reports that a manager at the supermarket had seen a weapon or whether the woman or the hostage-taker had sustained any injuries.

Footage posted to social media showed armed police officers in protective gear at the entrance to the supermarket.

Onlookers gathered nearby, and several police and emergency vehicles were visible on the street, which had been cordoned off.

One of the videos shows a police officer climbing a ladder leaning against the building’s wall and looking inside the supermarket.

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Disclaimer: This report first appeared on Deutsche Welle, and has been republished on ABP Live as part of a special arrangement. Apart from the headline, no changes have been made in the report by ABP Live.