Statesboro, Ga. – A couple surrendered peacefully today after holding an attorney hostage for more than 24 hours and telling authorities they were armed with an explosive device, police said.
The suspects came out of the downtown building where they were holding attorney Michael Hostilo around 9:30 a.m., said Larry Schnall, a spokesman for the Georgia State Patrol. Police had said earlier that one of the suspects was a former client of the lawyer.
Hostilo was found unharmed, Police Chief Stan York told reporters at the scene. The condition of the suspects was not immediately known.
Police cordoned off part of downtown in this southeastern Georgia college town after Hostilo was taken hostage about 9:15 a.m. Monday.
Police identified one of the suspects as Robert Eugene Brower, 43. In a news conference Monday night, York said Brower was angry about having been convicted in a criminal case in which Hostilo was his court-appointed attorney. York would not elaborate on the couple’s demands, saying they only wanted to call attention to the case.
Authorities did not identify the female suspect. City Manager George Wood said she was thought to be Brower’s girlfriend or wife.
A few hours before the standoff ended, it had briefly erupted into gunfire when the couple walked out of the building. They had possibly come out to surrender, but they suddenly became apprehensive and made a threatening gesture that prompted the exchange of gunfire, Schnall said.
The two then ran back into the building and authorities resumed negotiations. Schnall said he did not know who fired the shots.
