Sign up for a free trial of News Direct's animated news graphics at http://newsdirect.nma.com.tw/Reuters.aspx<br /><br />Police in Atlanta have shot dead a man who took four firefighters hostage, ending a siege that lasted several hours.<br />According to Reuters, "the firefighters, who are also trained as paramedics, went into the home to respond to what had been reported as a medical emergency, said Tommy Rutledge, spokesman for the Gwinnett County Fire Department. Nothing about the initial call seemed unusual. But once inside, the men were taken hostage.<br />A SWAT unit entered the house after deciding the lives of the firefighters were in imminent danger, a police spokesman said.<br />During the rescue effort, the firefighters received superficial wounds from an explosive device used to disorient the suspect, and an officer was shot in the arm or hand, Ritter said.<br />The wounded officer was in good condition late Wednesday, and the firefighters had all been released from Gwinnett Medical Center, hospital spokeswoman Beth Okun said.<br />Property records show the home in Suwanee, about 35 miles northeast of Atlanta, is owned by Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, and a Freddie Mac spokesman confirmed to WSB-TV that the property was in foreclosure."
