Alabama Hostage Standoff Ends With Child Safe

FBI says agents rescued the kidnapped boy and reported that the suspected gunman is dead.

Published

3 months ago

Categories

US

Topics

United States

People

Jimmy Lee Dykes, Steve Richardson

Places

United States of America, Alabama

Transcript

An Alabama hostage situation is over. SOUNDBITE:Steve Richardson, FBI Special Agent in Charge saying Alabama authorities saying: " At approximately 3.12 this afternoon, FBI agents safely recovered the child who's been held hostage for nearly a week. Within the past 24 hours, negotiations deteriorated and Mr. Dykes was observed holding a gun. At this point, FBI agents, fearing the child was in imminent danger, entered the bunker and rescued the child." The child appears physically unharmed. The subject is deceased. FBI Special Agent Steve Richardson offered no details about 65-year-old Jimmy Lee Dykes's death. Last week, the sheriff's department identified him as the gunman in the shooting death of schoolbus driver Charles Albert Poland. Tericka Singletary was on the bus when Dykes approached. SOUNDBITE: Tericka Singletary saying: " Suddenly some man came on the bus asking for boys between the six and eight year old. He kept picking children saying 'I want you, you and you.' We were shocked like what is he doing? That's when Mr. Pollard did what he did. He was brave. He pushed a button and put it in reverse." When the bus driver refused to hand over one of the children, Singletary says the gunman shot him and ranoff with five-year-old boy identified only as Ethan. Alabama authorities say the young boy has been taken to a local hospital.