Radio Shack Hostage Says Gunmen Apologized To Him
DENVER (CBS4) - It's been four days since an employee was held hostage for six hours inside a Denver Radio Shack. Employees were there getting ready to reopen Tuesday but say there's no word yet on when that will happen.
Two suspects entered with red bandanas, a .35 caliber and 9mm handgun at 9:48 Friday morning. It was the beginning of what would be a very long tense standoff.
Christopher Nimerfroh, who was taken hostage, told police he thinks one of the gunmen had been casing the store earlier. He also told police the gunmen had stuffed duffle bags with phones and game systems and took $250 to $350 from a cash draw. They put him in a bathroom with a gun to his head and accused him of setting off an alarm.
An employee of a nearby store called police. Christopher Nimerfroh's former wife, Rachel Nimerfroh, and young son waited out the ordeal.
"It's so surreal. It's really kind of odd that this whole thing happened," Rachel Nimerfroh said. "I don't know why the gunmen would hold him hostage. It just doesn't really make sense."
The two alleged gunmen, Taveuan Williams and Michael Annan, sent out pictures of themselves taken by the hostage on a cellphone. Williams was heard by Christopher Nimerfroh saying "he was going to jail for a long time," and at one point said "he was going to die today."
In the meantime people in a nearby gym hid in a basement sending out messages.
Finally, after six hours, Christopher Nimerfroh was released unharmed. He said the gunmen treated him decently, even apologizing.
Williams' mother was watching the ordeal with police. She was given a vest and she had helped talk the gunmen into giving up. She threw up her hands in relief as her son walked out.
Williams' mother told CBS4 she told police she would do anything to bring it to a peaceful end. She added news reports that Williams' brother was killed by police are not true.
