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The suspect captured by Amsterdam police after a harrowing hostage situation at a local Apple Store was carrying explosives during the standoff, authorities said on Wednesday.
Police arrested the suspect — identified as a 27-year-old male from Amsterdam — following an hours-long standoff in which he held at least one person at gunpoint. Authorities rammed the suspect with a car and took him into custody after he ran outside in pursuit of a hostage — who purportedly escaped the store when a police robot delivered water to the front door.
“We are investigating the possible motives of the hostage taker and the explosives he carried on his body,” Amsterdam police said in a statement, according to Reuters. “Investigation has shown that the explosives were not ready to detonate.”
Aside from the explosives, the suspect had an automatic rifle and pistol during the incident, Amsterdam police chief Frank Pauw said at a press conference. The man purportedly fired several shots at police who arrived at the scene.
Local officials said the suspect has a criminal record and demanded 200 million euros ($227 million) in cryptocurrency, as well as safe passage out of the Apple Store.
“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, according to Reuters.
The suspect was severely injured after being struck by the car, but no other injuries were reported. Several dozen people managed to escape the Apple Store during the incident.
Apple said its employees and customers in Amsterdam were safe following the incident. The company thanked law enforcement for their help in resolving the crisis and noted there was an ongoing investigation.
“Our teams and customers took swift action and showed incredible strength and resolve today, and we are so thankful for the support and care they’ve shown each other under such challenging circumstances,” Apple said in a statement obtained by TechCrunch.
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