Hostages in Wytheville, VA Post Office Freed Without Injury

A hostage situation at the post office in Wytheville, Virginia was diffused late Wednesday evening and although shots were fired, no injuries were reported.

According to the Associated Press, Warren "Gator" Taylor entered the post office in Wythe County at approximately 2:30 yesterday afternoon, pushing a wheelchair. After hearing gunfire shortly after Taylor was seen entering the building, a postal employee managed to call the police before fleeing the area safely. Wytheville Mayor Trent Crewe originally reported that five hostages were being held, but it was later discovered that there were three.

Food was delivered to the post office during the lengthy standoff, but Warren Taylor, who is disabled with an artificial leg, made no specific demands during the 8 ½ hour ordeal. Two hostages were allowed to make phone calls while being held captive. Swat teams were positioned in the area while FBI negotiators talked with Taylor throughout evening with little success. At approximately 11:00 pm, they ordered Warren Taylor to come out with his hands up and this time he complied.

The hostages exited the building first, while Taylor descended a ramp in the wheelchair. After a search by a bomb-sniffing robot revealed he had no explosives, Warren Taylor was taken into custody. State police aren't aware of a motive at this time.

It's not known why the Wytheville Enterprise was informed by local police that Taylor appeared to have explosives rigged to his torso, but a thorough search of his person as well as the wheelchair, the post office and his pickup truck proved no explosives to be found.

Little has been reported about Warrant Taylor beyond his name and that he's from Sullivan County, TN. What's curious to this writer is the comment by state police Sgt. Michael Conroy that he "did not know if Taylor had a military background".

I've known many people with disabilities that did not serve in the military. There are many ways to lose a limb outside of military service. Many who suffer from PTSD, or who are depressed, even suicidal, never wore a uniform. There are untold substantiated cases of people from all walks of life who have held others hostage or committed various acts of terrorism without obvious motive. Why the question about this situation possibly being tied to military service?

The term "going postal" was coined in recent decades after a number of incidents involving postal workers who gunned down other postal employees, although the definition stretched to include any disgruntled employee who commits acts of violence in the workplace.

Obviously this writer can't speculate as to whether "Gator" Taylor had any affiliation with the postal service, but one would think that, given the scenario of the hostage situation in the sleepy little town of Wytheville, the connection would be at least as plausible as the mention of military service so quickly tossed out there.

Sources:
Personal Opinion
2009http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091224/ap_on_re_us/us_hostage_situation_post_office