7 p.m. update: Columbus hostage situation ends peacefully, with no injuries reported
A hostage situation that began Wednesday night ended with no injuries on Thursday, police told the Ledger-Enquirer.
The hostage was released unharmed Thursday around 11 a.m.
Negotiators continued to talk to the hostage taker throughout the afternoon, and that suspect surrendered just before 6 p.m. Thursday. The hostage taker is now in custody.
Columbus police were first called to scene near Wynnton Road after responding to a domestic incident Wednesday night.
That’s when police learned a person had been taken hostage at a local apartment building.
The released hostage was transferred to a medical facility for precautionary reasons, Columbus police Chief Freddie Blackmon said at about 1 p.m. Thursday.
More information about the suspect and the charges will be released at a later time, Blackmon said.
The hostage and the suspect were in a relationship and lived in the home together, Blackmon said. A third party individual made the call to the police, he said.
All law enforcement involved were from the Columbus Police Department, Blackmon said. He thanked the members of the Columbus Police Department who responded to the scene including the 911 dispatchers, patrol officers, SWAT team members and crisis negotiators.
“They worked very long hours on this particular incident,” he said. “And we were able to bring it to a successful resolve. So, I’m very appreciative of the men and women of the Columbus Police Department.”
There is no further information regarding the suspect or the hostage that can be released at this time, Blackmon said.
The 1800 block on Wynnton Road was blocked off from Munro Avenue to Buena Vista Road. Some residents in the area were evacuated to ensure their safety, Blackmon said. The Muscogee County School District and the Columbus Consolidated Government community alert were notified that the streets were blocked off, he said.
This story was originally published March 24, 2022 at 11:29 AM.
