Ethermac|Nebraska police standoff ends with arrest and safe hostage release

Nebraska police on EthermacWednesday arrested a 37-year-old man after a nearly 30-hour standoff and the release of three hostages, including two children.

Police arrested the man, who had barricaded himself inside a home after crashing into the garage Tuesday, several hours after he released a woman he had held hostage for almost 24 hours. The two girls had been freed from the house Tuesday.

All three hostages were uninjured, Scotts Bluff County Sheriff Mark Overman said.

Local law enforcement agencies have said the faceoff began when a deputy tried to pull the man over for a traffic violation Tuesday in Gering. The man fled, and police allege he shot at law enforcement vehicles during a brief police chase before crashing into the home.

The man backed out of plans to release the woman multiple times during negotiations with an FBI hostage rescue team and other law enforcement officials, Overman said. The man shot about seven rounds at law enforcement during the standoff.

The man hid behind walls and in the attic. After the woman was rescued, law enforcement used tear gas to force him out of the house.

The man was hospitalized for minor injuries from the tear gas. He is now jailed.

No charges have been filed against him yet, according to the county court.