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Hostage situation at credit union on Univ. of Alabama campus; suspect in custody

Posted at 11:22 AM, Jan 10, 2017
and last updated 2017-01-10 12:01:48-05

(Fox News) – An armed suspect reportedly took hostages at a credit union on the campus of the University of Alabama Tuesday, sparking a tense standoff with armed police and a SWAT team.

The Alabama Credit Union’s president, Steve Swofford, told Fox 6 his employees were safe, but it was unclear whether other hostages were inside the building in Tuscaloosa, not far from the university’s law school.

Just before noon, police announced that the suspect had been taken into custody and that no one was injured.

The university sent out a campus-wide alert warning people to stay away. The situation started around 8:30 a.m., before the credit union was set to open.

Details on what sparked the apparent hostage-taking were unclear. “It didn’t come in as a robbery,” police Lt. Teena Richardson told Al.com. “We don’t know what the issue is.”

Video and photos from the area showed police in military-style vehicles and tactical gear with guns drawn, and a police helicopter overhead. Officers were working quickly to evacuate nearby businesses.

The campus was largely quiet. Classes were set to get back underway on Wednesday after the winter break.