LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) — A man took a female hostage at the Mexican Consulate in Los Angeles on Tuesday, but he was shot by police and the woman escaped unharmed, authorities said.
The man, whose grievance was unknown, was taken to a hospital under police escort but the city remained under tactical alert. It was unclear whether any more hostages were still inside the building.
Police including tactical agents in body armor and FBI agents surrounded the evacuated consulate in the city’s MacArthur Park area then entered the four-story office building. Nearby streets were closed off to traffic and apartments were evacuated.
Allan Nahum, a spokesman for Mexico’s foreign ministry in Mexico City, said the hostage was a consulate employee and was now safe.
«The only thing this person wanted in taking the consulate was to speak to news organizations. Until now, we have no idea what his demands were,» Nahum said.
«Fortunately, it is all under control,» Mexico’s foreign minister, Luis Ernesto Derbez, said in Mexico City.
Witnesses at the scene said the man, who was clothed in black and wore a dark-knit cap, was brandishing what appeared to be a weapon when he emerged from the consulate with his arm around the neck of a female cashier.
Video shot by Telemundo showed the man was carrying a hand-lettered placard around his neck but the message was obscured by the woman’s body. The video showed police shooting the man, who fell to the ground as the woman ran free.
