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CNN Live At Daybreak
Prison Standoff Ends
Aired February 02, 2004 - 06:09 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Now for more on the incident-free ending to that long Arizona prison standoff. One of the inmates, Rickey Wassenaar, admitted he and Steven Coy were trying to escape, but something went wrong with the plan. And after 15 days holed up in a guard tower with a hostage, they finally gave up.
We get more from Shelby Croft of CNN affiliate KPHO in Buckeye, Arizona.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SHELBY CROFT, CNN AFFILIATE KPHO REPORTER (voice-over): Around 6:15, the first sign of a possible surrender: the inmate, out on the tower, back in his prison uniform. He throws both arms in the air, salutes his fellow prisoners, has one last cigarette, and disappears back inside.
Right after, radio traffic: the female corrections officer is safe.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: TAC (ph) units 110, OK, we have...
CROFT: Then comes word, the inmate surrenders.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: TAC (ph) units 110, we have No. 1 in custody; now waiting No. 2. All TAC (ph) units, we have the second in custody. You can stand down.
CROFT: Finally, back in custody, inmates Rickey Wassenaar and Steven Coy
IVAN BARTOS, WARDEN: We negotiated them out.
CROFT: A peaceful surrender after 15 tense days.
BARTOS: There were times when it seemed very hopeless.
CROFT: The Department of Corrections had only one concern the past two weeks, a hope that's now a reality.
BARTOS: We did the only thing that's been important throughout this, which was to get our correctional officer back.
CROFT: And we're told the officer was able to walk out.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) helicopter and ambulance.
CROFT: Then the sight of a chopper overhead, rushing her to the hospital, and obvious relief from the negotiation team.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 110 DBS (ph) TAC (ph) units, go ahead and secure equipment, do walk-throughs, make sure we have all of our equipment. We'll see you back at the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) good job.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: And that was Shelby Croft of CNN affiliate KPHO. The 15-day standoff was the longest in recent history, surpassing an 11- day ordeal in 1993 in Lucasville, Ohio, and an 11-day standoff at the Atlanta federal penitentiary back in '87.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Aired February 2, 2004 - 06:09 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Now for more on the incident-free ending to that long Arizona prison standoff. One of the inmates, Rickey Wassenaar, admitted he and Steven Coy were trying to escape, but something went wrong with the plan. And after 15 days holed up in a guard tower with a hostage, they finally gave up.
We get more from Shelby Croft of CNN affiliate KPHO in Buckeye, Arizona.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SHELBY CROFT, CNN AFFILIATE KPHO REPORTER (voice-over): Around 6:15, the first sign of a possible surrender: the inmate, out on the tower, back in his prison uniform. He throws both arms in the air, salutes his fellow prisoners, has one last cigarette, and disappears back inside.
Right after, radio traffic: the female corrections officer is safe.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: TAC (ph) units 110, OK, we have...
CROFT: Then comes word, the inmate surrenders.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: TAC (ph) units 110, we have No. 1 in custody; now waiting No. 2. All TAC (ph) units, we have the second in custody. You can stand down.
CROFT: Finally, back in custody, inmates Rickey Wassenaar and Steven Coy
IVAN BARTOS, WARDEN: We negotiated them out.
CROFT: A peaceful surrender after 15 tense days.
BARTOS: There were times when it seemed very hopeless.
CROFT: The Department of Corrections had only one concern the past two weeks, a hope that's now a reality.
BARTOS: We did the only thing that's been important throughout this, which was to get our correctional officer back.
CROFT: And we're told the officer was able to walk out.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) helicopter and ambulance.
CROFT: Then the sight of a chopper overhead, rushing her to the hospital, and obvious relief from the negotiation team.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 110 DBS (ph) TAC (ph) units, go ahead and secure equipment, do walk-throughs, make sure we have all of our equipment. We'll see you back at the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) good job.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: And that was Shelby Croft of CNN affiliate KPHO. The 15-day standoff was the longest in recent history, surpassing an 11- day ordeal in 1993 in Lucasville, Ohio, and an 11-day standoff at the Atlanta federal penitentiary back in '87.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
