11 hostages freed, Jacksonville bank robbery suspect in custody

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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) – Eleven hostages held at gunpoint by a robbery suspect in a north Florida credit union were freed two hours after their ordeal began Thursday, authorities said.

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office tweeted that “We have 11 hostages out” about two hours after the robbery of the Community First Credit Union started. The suspect was in custody, according to the sheriff’s office.

No hostages were shot, and initial reports saying otherwise were not true, the sheriff’s office said.

An initial 911 call reporting a bank robbery came in at 9:06 a.m.

SWAT team members and police negotiators arrived at the scene a short time later, said Melissa Bujeda, a sheriff’s office spokeswoman.

Streets surrounding the bank were blocked off by police, and Bujeda urged those unable to get to work during the ordeal to be patient.

“Situations like these sometimes can be short and sometimes can be long,” she said.

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