Tense, dramatic standoff unfolds in Warsaw when man barricaded himself inside his apartment
Date
9/17/2024 7:56:41 AM
(MENAFN) On Wednesday, a tense and dramatic standoff unfolded in Warsaw when a man barricaded himself inside his apartment, throwing burning objects from a seventh-floor balcony and firing at Police negotiators. The suspect, whose nationality was initially undisclosed by authorities, was later identified by local media as a Ukrainian citizen.
The incident began on Tuesday afternoon when reports emerged of an “aggressive man” wielding a knife and what appeared to be a gun. He was reportedly aiming these weapons at bystanders, prompting an immediate response from the police. The Warsaw-based weekly, Do Rzeczy, detailed that by the time law enforcement, accompanied by a counter-terrorism unit, emergency medical services, and the fire department, arrived on the scene, the suspect had already barricaded himself inside his apartment.
As the situation escalated, the authorities cordoned off access to the building and began evacuating residents from nearby apartments. This action followed reports of the man setting objects on fire and tossing them from his balcony, as covered by Polish channel TVP3.
The standoff lasted more than five hours, during which the suspect, who was shouting in a “foreign language,” made attempts to ignite an adjacent apartment. Efforts by police negotiators to communicate with the barricaded individual from a nearby balcony were met with gunfire, which intensified the situation. It was later determined that the weapon the man was using was an airgun rather than a real firearm.
In a dramatic turn, a video that circulated on social media showed the counter-terrorism unit deploying a flashbang grenade into the apartment. The footage captured smoke billowing from one of the building’s balconies, highlighting the severity of the operation.
The confrontation drew significant attention and concern, with the response demonstrating the readiness and coordination of Polish emergency services in dealing with high-risk situations.
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