Man Takes 2 Hostages At NYC Store During 2-Hour Standoff: NYPD

BROOKLYN, NY — A man took two people hostage as he was attempting to rob a money transfer store in Brooklyn Saturday, police said.

The incident happened at a store near Irving Ave and Linden Street in Bushwick around 7:45 p.m., police said.

The man walked into the Darwin Money Transfer store and pretended to conduct a transaction before announcing the robbery, police said.

A worker and a customer in the store were taken hostage during the attempted robbery, police said.

The doors to the store were barricaded, and hostage negotiators had to talk to the man out a window, police said.

"Our emergency service units showed great restraint. They did not fire their weapons back after having a gun pointed at them. This is why they're the best emergency service unit in the world.
They showed tremendous restraint," NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey said during a press conference this weekend.

Following a 2-hour standoff, the man surrendered to NYPD officers.

Police recovered the firearm used at the scene — which turned out to be a fake.

The suspect and the two hostages were taken to a local hospital, police said.