Details: Alliance Police respond to hostage situation, suspect fatally shot

Details regarding an officer-involved shooting that left a suspect dead Sunday afternoon in Alliance are being released.

The Alliance Police Department was alerted to a situation involving a male suspect holding a knife to the throat of a female inside an apartment located at 840 S. Linden Ave.

Multiple officers arrived at the scene, where they encountered the male suspect still holding the knife to the female victim’s throat. The situation escalated as the suspect retreated into the apartment and locked the door.

Officers took immediate action by breaching the door. Inside, the male suspect retreated further, locking himself in a bedroom and using the female as a shield. Officers once again breached the door and confronted the suspect, who was still brandishing the knife against the female’s throat.

Despite repeated commands from police officers to drop the weapon, the suspect refused to comply, according to a release from the Alliance Police Department. In response, an officer discharged two rounds, fatally striking the suspect. The 59-year-old resident of the apartment, who has been identified as George Appleby, was later pronounced dead at the scene.

The victim, identified as an adult female, was transported to a nearby hospital via ambulance. Medical personnel treated her for cuts to her throat, and she was released after receiving medical attention.

The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation has taken charge of the ongoing investigation into this incident, working to determine the details surrounding the events. Further updates will be provided as the investigation progresses.