‘Motive Unclear’: Dutch Police Arrest Knifeman After Radio Station Hostage Situation

PARIS (AP) – Dutch police quickly arrested a man armed with a knife who briefly held a woman hostage Thursday at a radio station building in the Netherlands.

The woman was shocked but otherwise unhurt in the early morning incident in Hilversum, southeast of Amsterdam, said Ellen Deheer, a police spokeswoman for the Middle Netherlands region.

The man’s identity and motives weren’t immediately clear, she said.

“We will talk to him about what his reasons were to take this woman as a hostage,” Deheer said. “She is shocked at this moment. It will take some time to talk to her about this.”

The man threatened the woman with a knife outside the building and forced her inside, according to another police media officer, Leonie Bosselaar.

After sealing off the area, police “decided to end the situation” two hours later, entering the building, arresting the man and rescuing the woman, said Deheer.