Buckeye, Ariz.
Two Arizona prison inmates this week released a hostage they had held in a guard tower for 15 days, ending one of the longest prison hostage standoffs in U.S. history. Before surrendering, the prisoners told a radio station that the hostage taking was part of an escape plan that went bad. Inmates Ricky Wassenaar, 40, and Steven Coy, 39, overpowered an officer in a kitchen, and Coy allegedly raped a woman on the kitchen staff. Wassenaar then put on the officer’s uniform and persuaded the two guards in the tower to open the door. The prisoners released one of the guards, a man, but kept the other, a woman, hoping to bargain their way out. After the female guard’s release, she thanked authorities for not storming the tower. “They would have killed me,” she said.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
The 8 best biopic movies of the 21st century (so far!)the week recommends Not all true stories are feel good tales, but the best biopics offer insight into broader social and political trends
-
Washington grapples with ICE’s growing footprint — and futureTALKING POINTS The deadly provocations of federal officers in Minnesota have put ICE back in the national spotlight
-
‘One day fentanyl will come back — and there will be little anyone can do’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
