A man held three people hostage with a fake gun during an attempted robbery at a cash checking business in Brooklyn on Saturday night, as reported by police.
The suspect entered the Darwin Money cash check store on Irving Avenue in Bushwick around 7:45 p.m., pretending to conduct a transaction before revealing his intention to rob the place, NYPD chief Jeffrey Maddrey told reporters that night.
At the time, there were two employees and a customer present in the business. One of the employees managed to escape and call 911 for help.
Upon arrival, the police discovered that the front door was barricaded with “multiple chairs,” according to Maddrey.
Hostage negotiators engaged in conversation with the suspect, who at one point aimed a gun at police officers through a window and held the weapon to one of the hostages’ heads.
After a two-hour dialogue, the suspect exited through a rear window, descended a ladder, and surrendered to the officers, Maddrey confirmed.
It was later determined that the firearm the suspect brandished at the police was actually a fake, as per the authorities.
Following his hyperventilation episode in police custody, the man was attended to by EMS before being taken to a nearby hospital.
The two hostages, who were unharmed, were also brought to the hospital for evaluation.
As of now, no charges have been announced.
