Heights Man Surrenders to Police After Attempted Kidnapping in Paramus

A Hasbrouck Heights man locked himself in an office on Sunflower Avenue in Paramus for three hours Tuesday after allegedly pulling a replica gun on his manager.

Police swarmed the office building just after 11 a.m., and shouted at Khalet Ringo through the door to surrender.

Ringo came out three hours later, after hearing a familiar voice. A Bergen County K-9 officer who happened to know Ringo convinced him to give himself up, allowing police to take Ringo into custody safely at about 2 p.m.

"The K-9 officer just advised the suspect that he was going to be OK, nobody was here to hurt him," Chief Christopher Brock said. "It was very important for him to not come out with the gun in his possession."

Brock didn't go into detail about who the officer was or how he happened to know the 63-year-old. But he credited the chance relationship with ending a potentially dangerous situation.

"It was very fortunate for us that the K-9 officer knew this gentleman and was immediately able to open up a dialogue that definitely brought this to an end much quicker than it probably would have," Brock said.

At first, police tried talking to Ringo via a phone located in the office in which he had locked himself. But he refused to answer the phone, Brock said.

Ringo wouldn't speak to the K-9 officer right away either, Brock said, but the officer eventually coaxed Ringo into surrendering without incident.

Ringo had been employed by Exxon for more than 20 years, Brock said. Ringo was at Exxon's offices at 13 Sunflower Avenue to speak with one of his managers, but the conversation turned into an argument.

Brock said he wasn't sure what the argument was about, but it soon became physical, and escalated further when Ringo pulled out a gun on his manager, who escaped. Another office worker called the police, after which Ringo locked himself in an office on the first floor with the gun.

Brock said the gun was a Bruno Model 92, a Beretta replica that fires blanks.

Ringo was charged with attempted kidnapping, aggravated assault, possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose and terroristic threats.

The building and its more than 100 occupants, mostly employees of Prudential, was evacuated immediately, while police locked down Sunflower Avenue.

Bob Hakim, who has been with Prudential for 17 years, said he was on the phone with a client when a colleague told him to get out of the building.

"We saw the cops were right outside of the building with their guns," Hakim, of Franklin Lakes, said, while waiting with coworkers at a nearby .

Bob Fortsch, who also works for Prudential, said he was told someone with a gun was in the building and asked to leave.

"I had someone coming in to purchase insurance, he said. "I guess that's not going to happen."

Related Topics: Police and SWAT team