Armed police stake out River View flat

Wednesday, 11 November 2009

A domestic dispute at a flat in River View escalated yesterday morning into a tense stand-off between a local man and armed police, as surrounding streets were closed to the public and neighbours were asked to stay in their homes.
River View residents interviewed at the scene on Tuesday, November 10th, by the Gazette’s reporter indicated that the incident had begun shortly after 10am. By lunchtime, at least two dozen police officers, as well as members of West Mercia Constabulary’s armed response unit, dog handlers, army bomb disposal crews and a dozen paramedics had assembled in the immediate vicinity.
At 2pm, members of the armed response unit were seen pulling on balaclavas and helmets, and taking up position behind a wall adjacent to the flat. A police spokesman told the Ross Gazette at 4pm that the man had been holding his a woman hostage, but that she had left the house - although whether she had been released or had escaped was still unclear.
The man was said to have been using threatening language, and some reports suggested he had claimed to have a bomb - but when he showed himself at the window of the flat, there were no signs of an explosive device on his person.

As the Ross Gazette went to press on Tuesday evening the stand off was continuing. A reliable source told the Gazette that fire engines were at River View on stand-by as it was believed petrol had been spilt in the property. An incident support unit had also arrived and some residents had been taken to the Larruperz Centre.

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