One woman and 11 children are now safe thanks to a daring early-morning raid by a Georgia SWAT team.
The raid ended a tense stand-off that began at 2 a.m. when police learned that Korrie Thomas, 36, was holding the woman and children hostage at the Rite4us Inn & Suite in Decatur, about 10 miles outside of Atlanta.
The children ranged in age from 3 months to 17 years.
Authorities had surrounded the motel as Thomas, who was wielding a large knife, refused to let anyone leave. A DeKalb County SWAT team was called in to negotiate with Thomas for hours.
But as negotiations broke down and police began to fear for the lives of the trapped women and children, the SWAT team stormed the hotel and freed the hostages unharmed.
Thomas reportedly stabbed himself in the neck as the team entered his room, apparently attempting suicide, and is listed in critical condition.
According to the DeKalb County Police, nobody else was injured in the raid.
Standoff ends. Suspect stabbed himself as SWAT entered. No other injuries. Everyone else safe. Suspect enroute to hospital
— DeKalb County Police Department (@DeKalbCountyPD) January 5, 2016
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
America has so many heroes! We can be so proud of our police and their lives do matter! They risk their lives in order to save others. There may be some bad apples but most are very good and many are heroes!
The appointed president needs to issue some more executive orders right away banning knives. Perhaps it is time to ban pressure cookers and garbage cans too.
I was prepared to mention those deadly knives too but you beat me to it.. Remember that’s what the muslims use to behead their captives and the president won’t say a thing against the weapon of choice of his muslim brother hood.
Well, they did overturn the NSA’s common-sense decision to stop confiscating teensey-weensy pocket knives so they could better focus in things that could actually bring down a plane–like explosives.
Thank God for the officers who are willing to risk their lives to protect us – Without them anarchy would prevail!
G-d bless them all.
Was there a reason GOD wasn’t spelled out. The muslims spell allah all over the world and he is a fake made up along with 599 other gods the muslims had 300 years after Jesus .
Saying an Arab’s “Allah” isn’t “God” is like saying a Frenchman’s “Dieu” isn’t “God.” “Allah” just happens to be the Arabic word for God. Arabic Christians (yes, they do exist) pray to “Allah,” too.
O’Bama made him stab himself. Guns are bad!
Are you NUTS also?????????????
Think you mean NObama
Outlaw knives obummer, but you won’t get those either! All you are going to get is a ride out of town!!!
We can all be proud of and thankful for Law Enforcement personnel
The guy had ONE KNIFE and a dozen people couldn’t pile on him? Ok, I’ll grant you the 3-mo-old couldn’t do much, but the 17-yr-old sure could. What is wrong with this country that a SINGLE KNIFE can keep a whole room full of people hostage?!?!!??
Exactly—-A dozen people cannot handle a guy with one knife ?
Training in the army teaches you to disarm anyone with any sort of knife easily.
Eaven a chair can be a shield against a knife to the untrained knife user, too.