Police Chief Nate Harper held a press conference clearing up some of the details of what happened today.
First the hostage situation was random and not pre-planned.
The day for the suspect Klein Michael Thaxton started at 3am when he woke up in an evil mood. He left his house on a bike with a hammer, kitchen knife, cellphone and charger. He rode the bike from Beechview to downtown. He then thought about to hit a police officer with his hammer and steal his gun but decided against that. He noticed women going to the gateway building for work and noticed their was no security.
When he first entered the building he went to the 22nd and then 23rd floor but the doors were secure so he went down the 16th floor.
He looked into the business and noticed a lot of women but didn’t want to victimize a woman, He then saw Charlie Breitsman in his office and went in. Thaxton asked Mr Breitsman if he had an iPhone, computer or TV. He then pulled a knife out. And yelled to the rest of the office if you are not Charlie you better leave this floor.
Negotiators, his mother and an ex-girlfriend talked him into coming out and letting his hostage go.
Thaxton will face kidnapping, terroristic threats and aggravated assault charges.
