Pubdate: Thu, 13 Apr 2006 Source: Baltimore Sun (MD) Copyright: 2006 The Baltimore Sun, a Times Mirror Newspaper. Contact: http://www.baltimoresun.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/37 Author: Gus G. Sentementes, Sun Reporter PERSON HELD HOSTAGE AT BALTIMORE POLICE STATION Drug suspect armed with sharp object at Northeastern District building; barricade situation follows attack on officer during questioning A suspect armed with a sharp object barricaded himself in a room with a hostage after attacking a police officer at the Northeastern District police station in Baltimore today, police said. The suspect, who had been arrested on drug charges, was being questioned by officers around noon when he broke free of his restraints and attacked one of his interrogators, said Officer Troy Harris, a Baltimore police spokesman. Harris said the suspect then barricaded himself in a small office with a person believed to be a civilian employee of the police station. It was unclear what exactly the suspect was armed with, but police said they believed it was a pair of scissors. Hostage negotiators were on the scene and talking to the man. At 2:25 p.m., a loud bang was heard coming from inside the police station. The source of the bang was not immediately clear, but police said it was not from a gunshot. Department spokesmen could not immediately confirm whether the loud noise was from a flash grenade sometimes used by police to disorient hostage-takers. It was initially reported that the officer who was attacked was taken to Maryland Shock Trauma Center, but police later said the officer was taken to Mercy Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The officer's name was not immediately known. The Northeastern District, at 1900 Argonne Drive, is on the edge of the Morgan State University campus and is within sight of several dormitories. It is also across the street from the Carl J. Murphy Fine Arts Center. Police have cordoned off Argonne Drive and have surrounded the station as they deal with the situation. A SWAT team was on the scene early this afternoon, as were several ambulances, and a police helicopter circled overhead. Police Commissioner Leonard D. Hamm was also on the scene and was expected to speak to the media shortly. Morgan State University spokesman Clint Coleman told the Associated Press that the effect on the campus had been "minimal." "No classes have been canceled," Coleman said. "We're just diverting students away from the police station." - --- MAP posted-by: Derek