Wytheville VA
In Wytheville VA, an armed man in a wheelchair has taken hostage of five people in a post office in the rural town.
The hostages included three employees and two customers.
There have been shots fired but no reported injuries. The situation started about 2.30 PM Wednesday, when the man who was missing part of his leg, entered the post office causing the commotion, the only demands he had made were for pizza.
Virginia State Police sent i a SWAT team and a bomb technician, as police at the scene had told the Wytheville Enterprise that the man had five pounds of common plastic explosives strapped to his chest. Although Corinne Geller a State Police spokesperson would not confirm that.
There were many reports of people hearing the shots fired, from the post office, with most running when hearing the shots.
Wayne Sutherland a Town manger spoke from an office block four blocks from the scene, where he said dozens of officers had circled the brick post office.
He said; “It’s completely surrounded by police in every direction,” Sutherland continued, “All I can see is blue lights.”
He also added “It’s Christmas and all the stores are busy.”
Wytheville is the county seat of Wythe County, in southwest Virginia.