A young man with mental problems kidnapped a saleswoman at knifepoint in a supermarket in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, yesterday afternoon, local media reported.
The incident happened at about 5:00pm when the man armed with two fruit knives held a middle-aged salesman hostage in a supermarket in Putian Town of Zhengzhou.
Police soon arrived and negotiators tried to calm down the kidnapper, but the man was very agitated and his knife hurt the woman's throat.
His mother and wife also rushed to the scene and managed to persuade him to give water to the saleswoman. After a 4-hour standoff, the kidnapper dropped his knives and let go of the hostage.
"His elder sister told me that he has some mental problems," a fellow villager surnamed Liu said.
The kidnapper has been detained by police for investigation.
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