Police: Suspect killed during 7-hour hostage situation in Newark

<p>A SWAT team in Newark fatally shot a man who was holding a woman hostage at gunpoint following an hourslong standoff, officials say.</p>

News 12 Staff

Dec 15, 2018, 2:05 PM

Updated 2,179 days ago

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A SWAT team in Newark fatally shot a man who was holding a woman hostage at gunpoint following an hourslong standoff, officials say.
Authorities say the hostage was not injured.
Police say it started as a domestic violence call and officers arrived to find the man holding the woman at gunpoint. The man allegedly used the woman as a human shield during the standoff, which began just before 10 p.m. Friday and lasted seven hours.
The area of Broadway and Irving Street became a hub of police activity as the SWAT unit responded. Police said they began negotiating with the man and kept negotiations open during the seven hours the man held the woman against her will.
Eventually, police used what they called less lethal options, usually a term for force like a stun gun, although police did not specify what was used. The situation then escalated to the point that the SWAT team shot and killed the man, according to officials.
Police praised the SWAT officers for rescuing the woman, who has an 11-year-old child.
This case is under investigation by the Essex County Prosecutor's Office.
The identities of those involved have not been released.