thispego
11-30-2007, 04:00 PM
Two hostages freed at Clinton campaign office (http://http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/11/30/clinton.office/index.html)
(CNN) -- Two people held hostage at Sen. Hillary Clinton's campaign office in Rochester, New Hampshire, have been freed.
A woman is escorted away from the Clinton office after being released.
1 of 2 Neither hostage was harmed, CNN affiliate WCVB reported on its Web site.
It is not known who else is inside the office, WMUR, another affiliate, reported.
A man walked into the office at about 1 p.m., Maj. Michael Hambrook of the New Hampshire State Police told CNN affiliate WMUR-TV. Watch police take up positions »
Hambrook and Clinton campaign officials said two people were believed to be inside at the time.
Shortly before 2 p.m., police officers were gathered across the street from the office, some kneeling behind police cruisers with guns drawn. See the location of the office »
Witnesses described the man as in his 40s with salt-and-pepper hair, WMUR reported. It is believed he was still inside the Clinton office at 3:20 p.m.
Other people were caught up at the start of the hostage situation.
A woman with a baby was released by the hostage-taker early on, she told a witness, Lettie Tzizik, who spoke to WMUR.
Don't Miss
WMUR: Man takes hostages at Clinton office
WCVB: Man claims to have bomb
"A young woman with a 6-month or 8-month-old infant came rushing into the store just in tears, and she said, 'You need to call 911. A man has just walked into the Clinton office, opened his coat and showed us a bomb strapped to his chest with duct tape,' " the Web site reported.
Bill Shaheen, chairman of Clinton's New Hampshire campaign, told WMUR the people held were volunteers.
Clinton, a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, is in the Washington area.
She was scheduled to speak at 3 p.m. at a Democratic National Committee event, but canceled the talk because of the situation, DNC Chairman Howard Dean said. Watch Dean break the news »
"Unfortunately as some of you know, there is a hostage situation in New Hampshire involving a Clinton campaign staff person," Dean told those who had gathered for the event.
"The details are sketchy at this time, but understandably Sen. Clinton is now dealing with this very difficult problem and she is not going to be able to join us today. And we will keep them in our prayers and hope for a resolution to this situation in New Hampshire."
Buildings close to the storefront campaign office on Main Street were evacuated, including local campaign centers for Clinton's Democratic presidential rivals, Sen. Barack Obama and former Sen. John Edwards.
Cassandra Hamilton, who works in an office adjacent to the Clinton office, told WMUR: "I walked out and I immediately started running, and I saw that the road was blocked off. They told me run and keep going." E-mail to a friend
(CNN) -- Two people held hostage at Sen. Hillary Clinton's campaign office in Rochester, New Hampshire, have been freed.
A woman is escorted away from the Clinton office after being released.
1 of 2 Neither hostage was harmed, CNN affiliate WCVB reported on its Web site.
It is not known who else is inside the office, WMUR, another affiliate, reported.
A man walked into the office at about 1 p.m., Maj. Michael Hambrook of the New Hampshire State Police told CNN affiliate WMUR-TV. Watch police take up positions »
Hambrook and Clinton campaign officials said two people were believed to be inside at the time.
Shortly before 2 p.m., police officers were gathered across the street from the office, some kneeling behind police cruisers with guns drawn. See the location of the office »
Witnesses described the man as in his 40s with salt-and-pepper hair, WMUR reported. It is believed he was still inside the Clinton office at 3:20 p.m.
Other people were caught up at the start of the hostage situation.
A woman with a baby was released by the hostage-taker early on, she told a witness, Lettie Tzizik, who spoke to WMUR.
Don't Miss
WMUR: Man takes hostages at Clinton office
WCVB: Man claims to have bomb
"A young woman with a 6-month or 8-month-old infant came rushing into the store just in tears, and she said, 'You need to call 911. A man has just walked into the Clinton office, opened his coat and showed us a bomb strapped to his chest with duct tape,' " the Web site reported.
Bill Shaheen, chairman of Clinton's New Hampshire campaign, told WMUR the people held were volunteers.
Clinton, a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, is in the Washington area.
She was scheduled to speak at 3 p.m. at a Democratic National Committee event, but canceled the talk because of the situation, DNC Chairman Howard Dean said. Watch Dean break the news »
"Unfortunately as some of you know, there is a hostage situation in New Hampshire involving a Clinton campaign staff person," Dean told those who had gathered for the event.
"The details are sketchy at this time, but understandably Sen. Clinton is now dealing with this very difficult problem and she is not going to be able to join us today. And we will keep them in our prayers and hope for a resolution to this situation in New Hampshire."
Buildings close to the storefront campaign office on Main Street were evacuated, including local campaign centers for Clinton's Democratic presidential rivals, Sen. Barack Obama and former Sen. John Edwards.
Cassandra Hamilton, who works in an office adjacent to the Clinton office, told WMUR: "I walked out and I immediately started running, and I saw that the road was blocked off. They told me run and keep going." E-mail to a friend