Atlanta TV news crew are ‘held hostage by homeless man in sheriff’s office parking lot – with cops taking NINETY MINUTES to answer 911 call’
- Brandon Logan is accused of threatening to shoot two journalists on Monday.
- The suspect approached reporters in the parking lot of the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office in Jonesboro.
- The suspect has been charged with assault, battery and false imprisonment.
An Atlanta television news crew was taken hostage by a drunken homeless man who claimed to be armed with a gun, police said.
Brandon Logan is accused of threatening to shoot Atlanta News First reporters Asia Wilson and Lauren Swaim if they called the police or didn’t order him food.
Reporters were in their news van Monday evening preparing to broadcast live from the parking lot of the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office in Jonesboro when they were approached by a suspect.
Wilson managed to write a message to the editor and alert them to the situation. According to Atlanta News First, their colleagues tried to contact the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office, but called 911 without receiving help.
Police arrived on the scene about an hour and a half after reporters were first approached by Logan, who officials said never had a weapon.
Brandon Logan is accused of threatening to shoot two Atlanta journalists on Monday.
The police arrived at the scene about an hour and a half after the first call to journalists.
Atlanta News First reporters Asia Wilson and Lauren Swaim waited for police for more than an hour.
ANF presenter Allen Devlin said the messages sent by the journalists while they were hostages were “horrific, blood-curdling messages”.
“Something like, ‘We need help,’ ‘He’s going to shoot,'” Devlin said of the contents of the messages.
After receiving no assistance from the sheriff’s office, three deputies, including Schrader, headed to the scene. They flagged down a police car during the 20-minute drive from the newsroom to the sheriff’s office.
It was this officer who found the two journalists – still with the suspect.
Logan, who appeared in court Tuesday, faces charges of assault, battery, public drunkenness and false imprisonment.
Wilson managed to write a message to the editor and alert them to the situation.
The suspect approached Wilson and photojournalist Lauren Swaim Monday evening.
“The victims attempted to leave the premises, but Brandon Logan’s threats and body movements as if he had a weapon made the victims feel like they were being held hostage,” Judge LaTrevia Cates-Johnson said, according to WSB. TV.
The homeless man also allegedly pushed one of the journalists and tried to hit another.
“It was a strange situation,” said Eric Schroeder, general manager of the CBS affiliate station.
Schroeder told the AJC: “We really want answers as to why it took so long to release them.” I hope that in the coming days we will be able to find out what led to this.”