Hostage Victim: Suspect Was Just 'Flat-Out Scared'
AURORA, Colo. (CBS4) - A hostage situation in Aurora ended peacefully Tuesday night and the victim talked to CBS4 about the ordeal.
SWAT officers were called to an apartment building near 14th and Clinton around 7 p.m. Police said a man had entered the building and took an elderly woman hostage.
The incident started when Grant Bletcher, 22, who was wanted on several felony warrants, was spotted in a pickup truck. Police said when Bletcher saw the officer a woman driving the truck sped off and crashed. Bletcher ran off into the apartment complex where he took a woman living there hostage.
Several hours after negotiations, Bletcher surrendered leaving his hostage uninjured.
The victim, Kathy, who didn't want her last name to be identified, said Bletcher just came into her home with a gun in his hand and her stress level shot up. During the few hours of the situation, Kathy said a few interesting things happened.
Kathy said Bletcher began talking with her about his problems with drugs and how he had been to jail in the past. She said she didn't want to do anything to make Bletcher upset, so she mostly just listened.
Kathy then said something amazing happened.
"I took and held his hand. He wasn't angry. He was just flat-out scared; absolutely terrified," Kathy said. "He didn't want the police to beat him up; he didn't want to get hurt."
"There's been a tremendous amount of teamwork displayed this week with the Aurora Police Department, including our civilians," Sgt. Cassidee Carlson said. "Everybody at the Aurora Police Department is pulling extra weight these last couple weeks."
Bletcher has a long criminal history that includes numerous drug charges, burglary and vehicle theft.
