5 Ga. firefighters taken hostage; SWAT on scene

Mike Gallagher

Apr 10, 2013 - 15:39

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5 Ga. firefighters taken hostage; SWAT on scene

Aerial view of area where five firefighters were being held hostage in Suwanee.

Authorities in northwest Georgia say a barricaded man is holding five firefighters hostage.

Gwinnett County Police Cpl. Edwin Ritter says firefighters on Wednesday responded to a medical call in Suwanee and were taken hostage by a suspect he didn't identify.

Ritter says information on a possible motive was not immediately available and a SWAT team is on the scene. He gave no more details. A call to the Gwinnett County Fire Department was not immediately retued.

Television helicopter footage showed police and fire trucks surrounding the neighborhood of mostly two-story homes and well-kept lawns about 35 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta. WSB-TV reported police asked media outlets to move their helicopters from the area near the house.