The police arrested a man on Mondriaanplein in Emmen this afternoon. The man had entered a telephone store armed.
It is not known whether the man wanted to commit a robbery. The police speak of a suspicious situation. Shopkeepers in the area had to keep their doors locked. “On the advice of the police, we locked the door,” says one of the shopkeepers. “They also told us not to stand in front of the window to look.”
Images show that the man crawled backwards outside with his hands behind his head. Officers overpowered and arrested the man there. “No one was injured. We are investigating the circumstances and background,” the police report.
Part of Mondriaanplein and the surrounding streets were cordoned off with ribbons. Behind it, shoppers and center visitors stood watching to see what could be going on. Some passers-by claimed to have heard a bang.
“It didn’t take long,” said one of the passers-by. “Within ten minutes it was all done.” According to witnesses, the suspect was a young white man in his 20s with blond hair. Several bystanders indicated that it was an armed robbery, with or without a hostage situation.