Standoff in Nijmegen ends with one arrest

A tense standoff involving a possibly armed man barricaded inside a building in Nijmegen ended early Tuesday evening with the suspect's arrest. The man threatened to "shoot people in the neighborhood," a police spokesperson told de Gelderlander.

Officers were dispatched to the scene just before 4 p.m., as well as a heavily-armed tactical unit. "Police have received a report about a man threatening violence in an office building in the center," authorities said in a statement.

"The police immediately scaled up and evacuated the area. All agents were also asked to put on bulletproof vests."

By the time of the arrest over two hours later, it still was not made clear if people were held hostage at the scene on Hertogstraat. A police negotiator assisted in ending the standoff.

The building involved is a healthcare facility and residential location for people with psychiatric problems who need full-time care. The suspect is a patient of the Achter de Bank Woonzorgnet facility, sources told the newspaper. However police said at 7:15 p.m. that the suspect's identity was still unknown.

Several patients and staff members of the facility were seen on the street, according to police. Several took shelter in cafes and restaurants near the inpatient clinic.