Oklahoma police released a surveillance video of a standoff between authorities and a hostage taker at a Walmart location in the state, ending in the suspect's death.
In the released video, the man was seen walking around the supermarket when he suddenly took a 2-year-old hostage, holding a knife to the child's throat.
The incident happened at a Walmart in Midwest City, Oklahoma on June 17. The suspect, identified as Sammie Wallace, took the toddler from the shopping cart while her mother, Alicia Keating, had her back on the child. Keating started screaming and pleading with the hostage-taker, attracting attention from other shoppers.
According to ABC News, Keating's older daughter was also present while the incident was taking place.
Panicked shoppers called up 911, asking for law enforcement. Police were quick to move in and evacuate the store.
"He had a weapon in his hand. A knife-type weapon holding up against the child, threatening the child's life," Midwest City Assistant Police Chief Sid Porter explained, as reported by ABC.
Police negotiated with the suspect for more than 30 minutes. At one point, as seen in the surveillance video, police offered the 37-year-old hostage-taker a chair.
According to authorities, Wallace was uncooperative, making odd demands for the release of the child. The "tipping point," as ABC reported, was when the suspect started counting down with the knife sticking close to the child's neck.
"When a subject starts telling you that in 60 seconds he's going to kill a hostage, that's going to move you right up to the point that you will shoot him and that's what occurred in this case," former FBI agent and ABC News consultant Brad Garrett explained.
Just the situation heightened, one officer distracted the suspect enough for Capt. David Huff to move in and shoot Wallace in the head.
"Obviously, our goal was to talk him down to get him to release the child," noted Midwest City Police Chief Brandon Clabes, as ABC reported. "Unfortunately, we weren't successful but we were successful in saving this child and the fact is that Capt. Huff's actions were extremely heroic and he waited till the very last moment."
The 2-year-old child was safely brought back to her mother uninjured.
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