Four hostages unharmed after two hour barricade

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) The Fort Wayne Police Department responded to a man who barricaded himself in an apartment with possible hostages around 9:55 a.m. Tuesday.  It happened in the Centennial Towne Homes complex at the 7900 block of Serenity Drive on the south side of Fort Wayne.

FWPD Officer Marty Bender was at the scene and said they were trying serve a warrant to a suspect, Dernail I. Brown, wanted in a violent crime.

Officials learned that the Brown, 20, may have been armed and was inside with four other people.  Police spoke with one of the women inside.  Officers said she was alright but wouldn't come out of the home, which meant police considered it a hostage investigation.

"We had an adult female inside and then three juveniles:  A very young child and two teenagers." said Raquel Foster, public information officer with the Fort Wayne Police Department.  "We don't know what is happening inside the apartment, someone is on the phone, and not a lot of information is being relayed to law enforcement.  So we always have to operate on the side of safety.  We have to assume that if they're not willfully or voluntarily coming out of that apartment home, that they must be held against their will.  That is why you saw the response that you saw."

The Emergency Services Team (EST) and Crisis Response Team (CRT) were called to help with the situation.

Around 12:00 p.m. the woman, two teenagers and a toddler left with apartment safely. The suspect who had barricaded himself for two hours also came out around 12:00 p.m. and surrendered peacefully to officials on the scene.

Brown was arrested and taken to the Allen County Jail on the initial warrant issued.  In 2010, he was arrested for burglary and receiving stolen property.  Police issued a warrant for his arrest on July 24 for a probation violation.

This incident remains under investigation with the City of Fort Wayne Police Department and the Allen County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.