虚惊一场:报警说Margate有人持枪还有两个人质

MICHAEL STEDMAN and SALLY GLAETZER

September 21, 2009 08:00am

A MAN claiming to have a revolver and hostages caused police to block off the peaceful town of Margate yesterday.

More than 20 police, including the heavily armed Special Operations Group and trained snipers, were called to the siege.

All roads into the small town south of Hobart were closed as police responded to a call about 1.45pm from a man claiming he had a 38-calibre revolver and was holding two hostages.

SOG units dressed in camouflage and brandishing high-powered rifles quickly surrounded the house on the Channel Highway, on the southern side of Margate.

Police negotiators attended the scene and after tense negotiations a 32-year-old man was taken into custody about 4.30pm.

The man did not have any hostages and was not armed.

It is believed he lives with his elderly parents, who were at the local bowls club at the time of the incident.

It is understood the man has a history of mental illness.

He was taken to the Royal Hobart Hospital for assessment and was expected to be interviewed last night.

Acting Southern District Commander Peter Powell said a potentially dangerous situation had been resolved through the work of police negotiators.

"The first aim of police is to ensure that no one is harmed, and all the officers involved are to be congratulated," Mr Powell said.

Conor Richardson, who lives next door to the Meredith's Orchard store on the southern side of Margate, said the police were parked in front of her house.

"There's a police bus, SOGs, camouflage police and a lot of guns, it was pretty full-on," said Ms Richardson, 27.

She said the incident caused some excitement for guests at the lunch she and her husband were hosting.

"We were pretty much shoved in our front bedroom the whole time because that's where the best view was," she said.

"I didn't think it was scary because I figure if it was dangerous they would have come in and evacuated us ... I think maybe they were covering all aspects."

Premier David Bartlett was one of hundreds of motorists caught up in the mid-afternoon roadblock and he was seen out of his car investigating the commotion.

Drivers were told to detour via Nicholls Rivulet Rd and the Huon Highway during the almost three-hour-long stand-off.

Margate businesses were left in the dark about the nature of the emergency.

Brian from the Margate Tavern said the tourist trade had been brought to a standstill but the bottleshop was still busy with local residents.

"All we know is the police have got the roads blocked off, they have their bullet-proof vests on and apparently there is a siege down near Meredith's Orchard," he said.

http://www.themercury.com.au/art ... 11_todays-news.html

That is interesting.
Margate is a good place for fishing.

margate火车头还蛮有劲的