COBB COUNTY, Ga. — A suspect who law enforcement officials said barricaded himself in a home and took a hostage is now in custody Wednesday.
Channel 2 Cobb County Bureau Chief Michele Newell took you live to the scene of the hours-long standoff along Vinings Retreat Pass on Channel 2 Action News at 4 p.m.
SWAT with the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office had to force their way in the home after a 5-hour standoff. They flew drones into the home to locate the man, identified as 33-year-old Peter Atemkeng Hicks Njuacha, and used pepper ball gas, which is less lethal than tear gas.
The suspect’s brother was briefly held against his will but walked out of the home safely.
“His brother made a 911 call to tell us he was being held against his will, so that escalated the situation,” said Assistant Chief Deputy Gina V. Hawkins.
The suspect’s father, Peter Njuacha, told Channel 2 that he tried to call and text his son several times to get him to come out.
“I just want him to come out so that we can end this peacefully with nobody getting hurt and we are going to fight it in court,” he told Newell before it ended.
One previous warrant from 2024 accused the suspect of locking the doors of the house after deputies tried to issue a warrant. He was charged with a misdemeanor.
Deputies say he has a warrant out of Douglasville, but the details on it were not immediately clear.
The situation started when deputies went to serve a warrant at a home. The suspect went inside and held a family member against their will. SWAT teams negotiated for the family member’s release.
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