A man took a woman hostage inside a supermarket in Berlin on Friday evening and held her captive throughout the entire night. It wasn't until Saturday morning that a special police unit managed to overpower the perpetrator, according to police spokesperson Florian Nath. The woman was freed; police say she suffered minor injuries, as did the hostage-taker.
The perpetrator took the woman, apparently a supermarket employee, into his control at around 10:00 p.m. The man then barricaded himself with her inside the store in the Marienfelde district. Police remained in repeated contact with him throughout the night, during which the perpetrator made a series of demands.
Police moved in at around 9:20 a.m. The perpetrator was incapacitated using a distance electro-shock device, a so-called taser, Nath said. He was taken to a detention center for identification. "We had to end this situation this morning," Nath said, adding that intervening at that point had been "absolutely necessary." He said police acted "professionally and with clear purpose" against the hostage-taker.
The woman suffered a shock and was taken to a hospital for medical examination. The hostage-taker also received medical treatment as well. According to police, however, no one was seriously injured.
The further investigation has been taken over by the Berlin public prosecutor's office. Police were on site throughout the night in large numbers, and the area around the supermarket was cordoned off. No further details on the perpetrator's identity or possible motives were immediately available.
According to reports, the hostage-taker was armed with a large knife. Other employees and customers were reportedly still inside the Rewe supermarket, which was in the process of closing, at the time of the attack, but were able to escape.
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