end of the hostage-taking, the madman in custody

It has been more than 30 years since negotiations with a hostage taker lasted so long in Paris. Monday, December 20, a man took hostage the manager of a Parisian store as well as her daughter. After nearly 17 hours of negotiations, the madman finally surrendered in the morning of Tuesday. The two people retained, now free, were not injured.

Head of the research and intervention brigade of the Paris police headquarters, Simon Riondet describes the man as “an individual who was completely lost”. Aged 56, he was armed with a knife. During the negotiations, he asked to speak with a lawyer, Sylvie Noachovitch. “He absolutely wanted me to save him because he was the victim of a medical error”, she says. After having freed a first hostage at around 10 p.m., he freed the second and then surrendered. An investigation has been opened for kidnapping. Placed in custody, the man remains very confused.