Georgia Hostage-Taker's Demand: Restore My Cable

The man who held four firefighters hostage at a home in Suwanee, Ga., told negotiating cops he wanted his utilities and cable turned back on, authorities say. He had reportedly lost the services amid financial trouble; he also faced foreclosure on his home, a police officer said. "People can often be desperate," noted a local fire captain.

Police negotiated with the man for four hours before a SWAT team killed him, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. After receiving minor injuries, at least two firefighters have now been released from the hospital, WSB-TV reports. The man had reportedly lured them with a faked heart attack: It "was a typical emergency response—no indication that anything would go wrong," the fire captain said. (More Georgia stories.)