Man released unharmed after hostage situation at Verso paper mill in Jay, Maine, but police continue to negotiate with suspect in administrative building; mill in lockdown mode but work is continuing
Sandy Yang
JAY, Maine
,
March 14, 2012
(Bangor Daily News)
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A man has been released unharmed after a hostage situation at the Verso paper mill in Jay on Wednesday but police continue to negotiate with a suspect in the building, police say.
“The hostage taker spoke for several hours with State Police negotiators, along with the State Police Tactical Team,” state police spokesman Stephen McCausland said in a news release. “Negotiations continue with the hostage taker, who remains inside the mill’s administrative building.”
Sources inside the mill told the Sun Journal of Lewiston that the situation involves a disgruntled former worker, who was fired earlier this year.
McCausland declined to divulge the names of the hostage or the hostage-taker.
Radio traffic from local police indicated the man may have a shotgun with him.
But the mill’s communication manager Cherilee Budrick told reporters gathered outside the main gate that all employees were safe.
The mill was in lockdown mode but work was continuing. Budrick said the incident had been isolated to the administration building and that the Maine State Police were handling the situation.
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