Dutch police have detained a man who walked out of a nightclub where hostages were being held after a tense hours-long standoff. “The last hostage has just been released. One person was arrested, we cannot give more information at the moment,” police said in a message on X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday.
Quick Read
- Hostage Standoff in Dutch Club: Dutch police detained a man who emerged from a nightclub in Ede where hostages were being held after a prolonged standoff.
- Arrest and Hostage Release: The man was ordered to kneel and was handcuffed by armed police before being taken away, coinciding with the release of three hostages from the club.
- Ongoing Situation: Despite the release of three hostages, police indicated that the situation in the nightclub was not fully resolved.
- Police Response: Heavily armed police and special arrest teams were deployed outside the nightclub, with no immediate indication of a terrorist motive behind the hostage situation.
- Mayor’s Statement: Ede Mayor René Verhulst expressed concern for the hostages and their families, hoping for a swift and safe resolution.
- Security Measures: The area around the club was cordoned off, leading to the evacuation of approximately 150 nearby homes and the closure of shops in the town center.
- Location of Incident: The hostages were held in Cafe Petticoat, a well-known bar and nightclub in Ede, located about 85 kilometers southeast of Amsterdam.
- Impact on Local Services: The ongoing situation led to the suspension of train services to and from Ede’s station, and shops in the town center remained closed.
The Associated Press has the story:
Police detained man where hostages were being held in Dutch nightclub
Newslooks- EDE, Netherlands (AP) —
Dutch police have detained a man who walked out of a nightclub where hostages were being held after a tense hours-long standoff. “The last hostage has just been released. One person was arrested, we cannot give more information at the moment,” police said in a message on X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday.
The man walked out of the club before being ordered by armed police to kneel with his hands on his head. He was then handcuffed before being led into a waiting police car.
Three people who were held hostage for hours in a nightclub in the central Dutch town of Ede were released Saturday, police said, but they added that the “situation is not over.”
Gelderland Police announced the hostage release in a message on X, formerly Twitter. They gave no further details about whether more hostages remained in the club. Heavily armed police and special arrest teams, some wearing masks, were massed outside the popular club.
Video from the scene showed three young people walking out of the club with their hands in the air following their release.
Police said in a message on X, formerly Twitter, that “at the moment there is no indication of a terrorist motive.”
Ede Mayor René Verhulst said in a statement that a hostage situation continued in the town despite the release.
“A terrible situation for all these people,” Verhulst said. “My concern and thoughts go out to them and their loved ones. I hope that the situation is now resolved quickly and safely.”
Earlier Saturday, officers cordoned off a square in central Ede and evacuated about 150 nearby homes.
The hostages were being held in Cafe Petticoat, a popular bar and nightclub in Ede, according to an AP videographer at the scene.
Images from the scene in Ede, a rural market town 85 kilometers (53 miles) southeast of Amsterdam, showed police and firefighters on the streets.
The municipality said that all shops in the center of Ede would remain closed while the situation continued. Trains to and from the town’s station also were halted.
