Family of hostage taker thanks authorities, asks for privacy

SUWANEE - Family members of the man who took Gwinnett County firefighters hostage on Wednesday say they are thankful for the way authorities handled the situation, even though Lauren Brown died in the incident.

The family issued a statement Friday through the Gwinnett County Police Department, saying they are grateful no one else was killed during the standoff.

At the same time, they asked the police department to make a request to keep the media at bay, saying they need time to process the events and begin the healing process.

The 55-year-old Brown was killed by SWAT officers at his home on Walnut Grove Way. The standoff started when Brown called firefighters to his home, saying he was having a heart attack. The medical call turned out to be a hoax.

Brown initially held five firefighters at gunpoint, allowing one to leave early in the ordeal to move a firetruck. The other four were held for hours as Brown demanded his utility services be restored. Police said at a news conference after the standoff that Brown apparently had been planning the scenario for weeks.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2013/4/260437