Williamsport standoff with woman held hostage, ends peacefully
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WILLIAMSPORT -- A lengthy standoff at a Timberland Apartment complex in the 500 block of Lycoming Street in Williamsport ended safely and without violence when a woman, allegedly being held hostage by her boyfriend in her apartment, was released, Williamsport police confirmed.
About 10 minutes after the woman came out of the unit, her reported boyfriend exited the apartment with his hands behind his head.
The standoff began about 10 a.m. and ended when the woman came out about 2:10 p.m. followed by the man, police said.
The man, whose identity has not been released, was in police custody and was expected to be arraigned on charges in the coming hours once charges are approved by the Lycoming County District Attorney’s Office.
Police said they are also questioning the female tenant, trying to determine what all happened inside the apartment.
There was no information released concerning if the man was armed with any weapon during the standoff. Officers were getting a search warrant to go through the apartment.
Much of the block was closed off to traffic.
The standoff drew a large crowd to the scene, including the woman’s mother and other family members and friends.
Police were dispatched to the apartment initially to investigate a violent domestic situation. It was reported that a man had a gun and a woman had reportedly locked herself in a bathroom.
The Williamsport Special Response Team responded initially and were joined about 1 p.m. by a second tactical police team from Columbia County.
It became a very emotional scene when the young woman, believed to be in her mid-20s, was released from her apartment and placed in a police car.
The woman’s mother, being kept back from police tape about half a block away, desperately wanted to be re-united with her daughter, but another woman restrained her.