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Police & FBI respond to hostage situation at Wells Fargo bank in Minnesota Suspect in custody after 8-hour-long hostage situation at Wells Fargo bank in Minnesota
(about 3 hours later)
Suspected robbers have taken hostages at a bank in St. Cloud, Minnesota, prompting federal agents to join the local police response. A man who took several bank employees hostage at a Wells Fargo branch in St. Cloud, Minnesota has been brought into custody, following a lengthy eight-hour standoff with police and federal agents.
Officers arrived at the St. Cloud Wells Fargo around 2pm local time on Thursday, responding to a call about a bank robbery in progress, police Lieutenant Lori Ellering said in a statement. Officers arrived at the scene around 2pm local time on Thursday, responding to a call about a bank robbery in progress, police Lieutenant Lori Ellering said in a statement, noting at the time that negotiations had begun with the suspect and that FBI agents were assisting local law enforcement.
“Negotiations are ongoing,” she said. “The situation remains an active incident. There are an undisclosed number of bank employees being held hostage inside.”   During the standoff, footage from a local news chopper showed a number of squad cars parked around the bank, as well as what appeared to be a police SWAT team positioned near the building’s entrance. Two armored vehicles were also photographed at the scene.
Sometime around 6:30pm, one female hostage was seen exiting the building with her hands up, as was captured on video by a local news crew. The same media outlet, a CBS affiliate, later published footage of three other hostages as they emerged to safety. How many others are still inside, as well as the progress of the police negotiations, both remain unclear, however. At one point during the incident, the hostage taker, who has not been identified, appears to have uploaded a video of himself on social media, in which he is seen directing his captives to negotiate with officers. The clip quickly made the rounds online. 
While few other details have emerged from the scene so far, a spokesperson for the bank earlier confirmed that a hostage situation was ongoing. After hours of dialogue with the man, one female hostage was seen exiting the building with her hands up sometime around 6:30pm, as was captured on video by a local news crew. The same media outlet, a CBS affiliate, later published footage of three other hostages as they emerged to safety.
“We can confirm a hostage situation at Wells Fargo’s St. Cloud South branch, located at 200 33rd Avenue South,” the spokesperson told local media. “We are cooperating with local law enforcement and will do whatever we can to assist the authorities in their investigation.” The confrontation stretched on into the night, with officers storming the building and apprehending the suspect around 10:30pm, during which the fifth and final hostage was seen running from the bank, taking a minor fall as he did so. That, too, was caught on video.
Live footage from a local news chopper showed a number of squad cars parked around the bank earlier in the evening, as well as what appeared to be a police SWAT team positioned near the building’s entrance. Two armored vehicles were also photographed at the scene. Despite the length of the standoff, no injuries among hostages were reported, though it’s unclear whether the suspect was injured during his arrest.
No injuries have been reported in the standoff so far, though police have asked residents to avoid the area around the bank and closed off a portion of roadway in the vicinity. The FBI and the Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office are also reportedly assisting St. Cloud police in their investigation. Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!
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