UPDATE: Man In Custody Following Standoff with ZPD

A man is in custody Thursday night, following a standoff with police in what began as a hostage situation involving two victims.

According to Chief Kenneth Miller of the Zanesville Police Department, around 11:00 a.m. Thursday, Zanesville Police were called to a home at the 1200 block of Devin Street for reports of a possible hostage situation involving an armed male suspect and two victims, a male and female. Police and special response units surrounded the house in standoff that lasted for more than three hours. A police negotiator was one scene and around 12:30 p.m, the two victims were released from the home and taken to Genesis Hospital with minor injuries. The special response team deployed tear gas, before finally entering the home to capture the suspect, who willingly surrendered to police around 2:30 p.m.

“Well obviously the outcome was very favorable, all the way around, once we had the hostages out, then time was on our side, so we tried every avenue that we could,” Miller said.

No names are being released at this time, but Miller said the incident appears to be related to a drive-by shooting that occurred near Shinnick and Orchard Streets Wednesday night, but that has yet to be confirmed.

The Muskingum County Sheriff’s Office, the Zanesville Fire Department, and the Ohio State Highway Patrol all assisted at the scene. The incident remains under investigation and we’ll bring you more on this story as it develops.