Worker, customer taken hostage during attempted robbery inside Brooklyn money transfer store

BUSHWICK, Brooklyn (WABC) — A worker and a customer were taken hostage during an attempted robbery inside a money transfer store in Brooklyn, police said.

Investigators said a man walked into the Darwin money transfer store at Irving Ave and Linden Street in Bushwick around 7:45 p.m. on Saturday.

He acted like he was going to conduct a transaction, but then he announced the robbery, police said.

There were two workers and one customer in the facility. One of the employees was able to escape and they were able to call 911.

When the officers responded, they saw that the door to the premises was barricaded with multiple chairs and called for assistance.

Hostage negotiators started to dialogue with the man out a window.

During the negotiations, he pointed a firearm out the window at members of emergency service and on the head of one of the hostages inside, police said.

“Our emergency service units showed great restraint. They did not fire their weapons back after having a gun pointed at them. This is why they’re the best emergency service unit in the world. They showed tremendous restraint,” NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey said.

After more than 2 hours, the man surrendered to police.

They recovered a firearm, which turned out to be a fake.

The suspect was taken to a local area hospital after starting to hyperventilate.

The two hostages were also taken to a local hospital to get checked out.

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