Crime & Safety

UPDATED: Gwinnett Firefighters Rescued from Hostage Situation; Suspect Dead

A police officer was shot, but his injuries appear to be non life-threatening.

Updated - 12:30 p.m. April 11: WSB-TV reports that police have identified the gunman as Lauren Holman Brown.

For the latest updates, see: Live Coverage of SWAT Standoff Press Conference

Updated - 7:30 a.m April 11: The four firefighters were treated at Gwinnett Medical Center in Lawrenceville and released on Wednesday night, according to a statement from hospital spokeswoman Beth Okun. The police officer shot during the confrontation was listed in good condition.

Find out what's happening in Suwaneewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

See also:

Suwanee SWAT Standoff: It Was a 'Typical Call' (includes link to dispatch audio)

Find out what's happening in Suwaneewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Original post: A SWAT Team moved into a home on Walnut Grove Way in Suwanee about 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, ending a standoff that began with five firefighters being held hostage, Gwinnett County Police said.

The suspect was found dead in the home. One police officer was shot, but his injuries were not expected to be life-threatening. The four firefighters who remained in the home received superficial wounds from a "flash-bang" device used to distract the hostage-taker.

Police said the man had called emergency officials reporting a false medical situation. He began making demands that his power and other utilities be turned back on. WSB-TV reported that the home, at 2440 Walnut Grove Way, had been in foreclosure.

Officials decided to move in on the home to save "the lives of those firefighters," Gwinnett County Police spokesman Cpl. Edwin Ritter said in a news briefing at about 7:40 p.m. "It got to a point where we believed their lives were in immediate danger."

Patch will update with details.


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