FAIRFIELD — A man with a knife who released a woman after holding her for nearly six hours Monday was later taken from the woman's apartment by a SWAT team, ending a hostage drama that dragged on for more than 13 hours.

A woman is removed from her apartment after being held hostage. (Thomas E. Witte photo) | ZOOM |

        “At 8:40 p.m., we used a Hamilton Police Department Special Weapons and Tactics team, and he was taken into custody,” Fairfield Police Chief Michael Dickey said. “He was tired, but we still had to force entry.”

        The man was escorted from the building by several heavily armed team members and taken to a waiting ambulance.

        Officials had preferred to wait the man out, but he had taken some unknown medication and police were unsure how he would react, the chief said. There were no injuries, either to the suspect or to police.

        Chief Dickey said the man had erected furniture barricades and was holed up in a bedroom. His identity was not released.

        Initial charges were armed robbery and burglary, with other charges pending.

        Police say the man broke into the apartment in the 5200 block of Camelot Drive at 7:34 a.m. Police dispatchers received a call that a man was entering the apartment.

        “The woman called because she heard someone breaking into the apartment,” Fairfield Police Lt. Ken Colburn said. “The phone went dead. When officers entered the apartment, the man took the woman back into a bedroom.

        “We've had our primary negotiators standing at his door all day,” Lt. Colburn said.

        Officers began negotiations with the man shortly after they arrived.

        The woman was released about 1:18 p.m. She sobbed hysterically as she was escorted from the building by several officers. She was quickly taken into another apartment.

        The two have some type of relationship, police said, but officials did not know details.

        Camelot Drive and the parking lot of the complex were lined with ambulances and more than a dozen police cars throughout the day.

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