A gunman who held firefighters hostage outside Atlanta and was killed after an hours-long standoff was lying in bed when the emergency crew arrived and fooled them into thinking he was sick before.

He "seemed to be suffering from a condition that restricted his movement," Gwinnett County Police Chief Charles Walters said in a Thursday news briefing.

Gwinnett County Police Department / AP

An undated photo from Gwinnett County police shows Lauren Holman Brown, 55, the gunman accused of holding four firefighters hostage for hours in his suburban Atlanta home.

But when the firefighters began to assist him, the man pulled a handgun, held five firefighters at gunpoint and demanded help to get his power, cable television and phone service restored.

Lauren Holman Brown, 55, was identified at the suspect killed when a SWAT team stormed his home, NBC station WXIA reported.

Though new details on the Wednesday afternoon hostage incident in Suwanee, Ga., were emerging, the motive for the crime remained unclear.

Here's how the incident 35 miles outside Atlanta unfolded, according to police and WXIA reports:

The four-hour drama began at 3:41 p.m. when dispatchers received a 911 emergency call from Brown, who complained of chest pains. When firefighters arrived, Brown was lying in bed, but minutes later produced a handgun and took five firemen hostage.

Brown then demanded one of the firefighters move a fire truck and ambulance parked outside his home. He released one of the firefighters.

Brown then ordered the firefighters to have his utilities restored to the home. Police negotiators began making contact with Brown and tried to get him to release the hostages. He refused.

As the standoff wore on, Brown requested rope and tape to tie up the firefighters, and ordered that food be delivered for him and the hostages. He also set a deadline for 7:30 p.m. when he wanted his demands met.

SWAT team members arrived at the home at 7:30 p.m. under the guise that they were bringing take-out from Brown’s choice of restaurants: Captain D’s Seafood Kitchen.

A flash-bang grenade was then detonated to disorient the suspect. Brown fired at the first police officer to enter the room, who was wounded in the arm. The officer, who has not been named, returned fire and killed Brown.

The police officer sustained non-life-threatening wounds and remained hospitalized on Thursday. Four of the firefighters received minor injuries from the explosive device used to distract Brown.

According to police, the SWAT operation was initiated because officers did not believe Brown would release the hostages. Police later found six guns inside Brown's home.

The names of the firefighters were not released.

Cpl. Jake Smith, a Gwinnett County Police spokesman, said the investigation is ongoing and a precise motive was unclear. One item of inquiry is Brown’s mental health history.

Brown was known to be struggling with financial issues but police were still determining what those were. Police had visited Brown's home several times, Walters said, but nothing "never for anything really criminal." One visit was for a "failure to appear" charge in another county.

According to property tax records obtained by NBC station WXIA the property had been foreclosed on last November. Brown had lived in the home more than a decade and his ex-wife lived across the street, Walters said.

Police said Brown said he had been planning the incident for several weeks.

Reuters contributed to this report.

This story was originally published on Thu Apr 11, 2013 5:49 PM EDT

A Washington, D.C., area volunteer firefighter had to have his arm surgically reattached after suffering serious injuries in a crash on the Beltway early Wednesday morning.

Several other people were also hurt, though less seriously, when a fire truck was involved in a chain-reaction crash.

The fire crew, from the West Lanham Hills Volunteer Fire Department, had responded to a minor accident on the Beltway early Wednesday near the eastbound exit for John Hanson Highway when their truck was rear-ended by a tractor-trailer, reported News 4's Jackie Bensen.

A Jeep was also involved in the resulting collision and overturned. All the occupants of all three vehicles were injured, including four firefighters.

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The firefighter with the most severe injuries has not been named. But police said he was transported to MedStar Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore to have his arm surgically reattached.

Late Wednesday evening, authorities confirmed that his arm had been reattached and that blood was flowing into it. There was no update on his overall condition or other injuries.

Investigators say the fire truck was making a U-turn in a cut-through labeled "Emergency Vehicles Only" when it was struck. After responding to the earlier crash, the crew put the truck in an "out of service" status, meaning lights and siren were not in use.

The truck is authorized to use the cut-through, authorities said.

The accident is being investigated by Prince George’s Police, Prince George’s County Fire and Maryland State Police.

CHICAGO -- A far west suburban firefighter and paramedic who was found dead in her home died as a result of an attack by one of her own dogs, the Kane County sheriff’s office said Wednesday.

Dawn Brown, 44, of the 400 block of Jefferson Street in Big Rock, was found dead by her husband at the bottom of the stairs in her home Monday afternoon. The paramedics who responded were her co-workers.

"It's just heartbreaking," said neighbor Mark Hake. "We would see them walking their dogs through town. [They were] very nice people."

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Brown and her husband had three dogs: a mastiff, boxer and pit bull mix breed. It was the 140-pound mastiff who attacked her, officials said.

It's not known what provoked the animal to attack, but Kane County Animal Control now has all three dogs in their custody. The mastiff was new to the home and was given to the couple by a family member about a week ago.

Brown was a full-time firefighter/paramedic for the Bristol Kendal Fire Protection District and a part-time paramedic for the Big Rock Fire Protection District. Her colleagues at Big Rock were too distraught to speak publicly about Brown on Wednesday. Bunting hung around her photo at Station One, at 103 Beaver St. in Yorkville.

A memorial service has been scheduled for Saturday at 11 a.m. in Big Rock.

Courtesy of the Dowd family

Charles Dowd, 69, a retired San Francisco firefighter and business owner en route to visit his son and family in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, was found dead in
Nebraska more than a week after he disappeared from an Amtrak train.

The body of a retired San Francisco firefighter who was reported missing after possibly falling off an Amtrak train he was riding from California to Chicago has been found in Nebraska, his family said.

The body of Charlie Dowd was found Friday in Haigler, Neb., an area between Fort Morgan, Colo., and  McCook, Neb. The body was spotted by a BNSF railway worker who reported it to authorities.

Dowd, 69, boarded the California Zephyr on Sept. 12 in Emeryville, Calif., with plans to change trains in Chicago on Sept. 14 and continue to Montreal to visit his son. But when the train pulled into the Chicago station, Dowd was not aboard, yet his luggage, cell phone and medication were.

The family last heard from Dowd by cell phone on Sept. 13, his daughter, Jennifer Dowd, said.

Amtrak police had told the family that a passenger saw Dowd about 10 p.m. on Sept. 13 near a train door. Another passenger found an exterior train door ajar about 11 p.m. that night but didn’t report it to Amtrak officials until the next morning.

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The train conductor said a person who fit Dowd's description appeared disoriented and confused about his whereabouts, thinking he was in an apartment rather than on a train and that he needed to find the front door.

Based on those reports, the family and Amtrak coordinated searches with local police agencies focusing on the train route between Fort Morgan and McCook. 

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On Friday, the family released this statement:

“While the family is devastated, they would like to express their gratitude for the many prayers, support, and messages posted to the Charlie Dowd Facebook page, and for the efforts of the many volunteers who have helped search for him this past week."

The family said more details about Dowd's death would be forthcoming soon.

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CHICAGO -- Firefighter John Francis Minich died after saving many lives from a burning building 60 years ago, but until Saturday there was nothing to mark his grave site.

“One of the lives saved that day [was] my mother, pregnant with me,” said Debbie McCann, who discovered Minich’s unmarked grave and brought it to the attention of officials.

The Chicago Fire Department along with the Chicago Firefighters Union Local 2 joined with McCann Saturday afternoon to honor the anniversary of Minich’s death with a permanent grave marker.

See the original report at NBCChicago.com

His name is etched in granite at the Stockyard memorial and his badge is mounted on the Wall of Honor at the Quinn Fire Academy in memory of his heroic actions. However, there was nothing to honor the hero in the All Saints Cemetery, where his body was laid to rest.

“This was something that had to be made right,” said Chicago Firefighters Union Local 2 President Tom Ryan. “He gave his life and made the ultimate sacrifice for the people he served, and that needed to be recognized.”

McCann’s mother was one of 12 people Minich rescued during an arson fire on Oct. 25, 1952. After carrying the pregnant mother to safety, he took off his crucifix and put it in her hand, said McCann, who considered him her guardian angel.

Shortly after the rescue he collapsed and was taken to the hospital, where he died. Doctors described the cause of death as a heart attack and smoke inhalation. Minich was 43 years old.

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McCann began searching for her guardian angel and tracked down his grave site at All Saints Cemetery in Des Plaines, only to discover there was no marker in place for this hero. She then worked with the cemetery’s field manager John Stewart to correct the oversight.

“She went to great lengths to contact our office,” said Ryan. “She originally planned to pay for the headstone on her own.”

Ryan said he told her it was not necessary and motions were put in place for the permanent marker that now marks the place of a Chicago hero and guardian angel.

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MIAMI -- A Miami-Dade Fire Rescue captain, whose Facebook comment about the Trayvon Martin shooting spurred an investigation, was demoted two ranks to firefighter Monday in a letter from the fire chief.

Brian Beckmann, who posted the comment April 11, must also complete a Fit for Duty evaluation and diversity and/or sensitivity training, the letter from Fire Chief William Bryson said. Beckmann may appeal the decision within 14 days.

Rowan Taylor, president of International Association of Firefighters Local 1403, wrote in an email statement that he disagrees with the demotion.

"As union President, I believe this discipline is excessive. We will immediately file an appeal to an independent arbitrator," Taylor said.

For more, visit NBCMiami.com

A copy of Beckmann’s initial Facebook post was in the Finding of Fact Report released by the department.

Besides having disparaging words for the prosecutor, the post also said: "I and my coworkers could rewrite the book on whether our urban youths are victims of racist profiling or products of their failed, (expletive), ignorant, pathetic, welfare dependent excuses for parents, but like Mrs. Corey, we speak only the truth. They're just misunderstood little church going angels and the ghetto hoodie look doesn't have anything to do with why people wonder if they're about to get jacked by a thug,” he posted.

A disciplinary report said that the comment altered the reputation of the Fire Rescue department.

“The statement posted cast the subject in a negative light as well as brought ill repute to our entire organization as a result of the reference to 'my co-workers.'"

Beckmann, who said in an interview with the department that he was not the author of the post and rather copied it from what he thought was an editorial reply to a news article or blog, apologized to Bryson in a note.

“I know that my actions have brought you undue scrutiny and you didn’t deserve that,” he said. “I promise I will try harder than ever to be a decent and professional public servant to the citizens of Miami-Dade County, that was always my goal and will continue to be.”

Beckmann also explained why he chose to use the statement.

Prosecutor files evidence, witness list in Trayvon Martin case

"I have...from all the years of, all the horrible things I have seen and after a recent couple of events I was reading things that evoked a response in me that made me what to share it and it was not the response they're deeming it to be," he said according to an attachment to the memorandum.

Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez released a statement Monday that said he agreed with the department’s decision.

“The comments made by Captain Beckmann were reprehensible and will not be tolerated,” Gimenez said. “We can’t have our employees, especially a supervisor, making such disparaging comments about any member of our community, much less one of our own employees."

Gimenez said that he directed his staff to revise policies dealing with the issue.

"It is important to reiterate my position that public servants have a responsibility to uphold the highest levels of integrity and decency, especially when you consider our multicultural, multi-ethnic community. There’s no such thing as being off-the-clock; we are public servants 24/7 and must conduct ourselves with the utmost professionalism at all times," he said in an email statement.

Beckmann, who has worked for the county since 1997, was promoted to lieutenant in 2002 and captain in 2006. He has previously been disciplined twice for reporting late to work and responding to an unauthorized email “sent to be humorous and not county business,” according to his personnel record summary.

Other officers involved in the case were asked to receive counseling for their "lack of official action," the attachment said.

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EAST POINT, Ga. -- It was as if the baby had dropped through a trap door. A terrified mom said she watched as her 1-year-old son fell into a storm drain while they were sitting on the edge of their street enjoying their Sunday evening. 

She frantically called 911, and firefighters were on the scene within minutes. 

"I was saying if you all don't hurry up, I'm going to jump in there myself," said the mother, T'pring Brown of East Point, on Monday.

But when the crew from the East Point Fire Department arrived and lifted the drain's cover, they discovered the opening was too small and quickly called in their compact rescue specialist -- Rosa Tullis, a firefighter who stands 4-foot-11.

"In the cars, in the windows, down the holes, typically it's going to be me because I am the smallest," Tullis said. "I'm slightly claustrophobic, and I'm not comfortable with it, but I'm definitely the likely choice."

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Tullis barely fit through the drain's opening as she was lowered down with a harness. She couldn't reach the child on her first try, she said, but was successful on her second. She lifted him over her head and up to safety, she said. Both of them escaped with minor scrapes and bruises. 

"That's when the tears came. It was just great to get him and see that he was safe," Tullis said. "It definitely was a joint effort, so everybody was happy and hugging and clapping."

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AP

Florida firefighter Jerry Perdomo was reported missing Feb. 16.

Updated at 4:49 p.m. ET: Authorities in Maine on Wednesday identified a body found in the woods near the town of Newburgh, just outside Bangor, as a Florida firefighter missing for more a week.

The body was found Wednesday morning by a state game warden and his dog. The state medical examiner’s office identified the body as Jerry Perdomo, 31, of Orange City, Fla. An autopsy will not begin until Friday at the earliest, the Maine Department of Public Safety said.

The discovery came one day after a suspect in Perdomo's death was arrested. Perdomo, who was a Seminole County, Fla., firefighter, was reported missing Feb. 16. 

A Bangor man, 24-year-old Daniel Porter, has been charged with murder.

According to an arrest warrant, Porter owed Perdomo $3,000 and told police the firefighter threatened him and his family during a game of pool.

Waldo County Sheriff Dept. / AP

Daniel Porter is charged in the death of Jerry Perdomo.

A police investigation began after a woman described as Perdomo's girlfriend told police in Bangor that she last saw him Feb. 16 with a handgun and that he told her he was going to meet someone who owed him money.

According to the affidavit, Porter told police Perdomo was dead but would not say where his body was.

The affidavit also said Porter and Perdomo were involved in drugs and had exchanged death threats in January. Porter complained to police that a man he believed was Perdomo had thrown rocks at his house.

Each man told investigators he had been threatened by the other.

"Perdomo stated that he observed Porter with a machine gun and that Porter threatened to shoot him and put him through a wood chipper," according to the affidavit. "Porter stated that Perdomo threatened to cut off his hands and kill him."

The affidavit cites evidence showing that Porter drove Perdomo's rented car to a Wal-Mart store in Bangor and abandoned it, and threw a bag containing Perdomo's wallet, cell phones and keys into a trash container behind a Bangor supermarket.

Records also show that Porter and his girlfriend had purchased a handgun at a pawn shop on Jan. 20.

Earlier this week, in an interview from her home in Orange City, Fla., Perdomo's wife, Tonya, described the father of 3- and 10-year-old children as "a dedicated dad. He helps people out a lot."

The firefighter had left Florida in a rental car and told his wife he was going to see friends in Maine, which she said was not unusual because he had friends from all over.

Porter was arrested Tuesday at a home in Jackson, Maine, that was rented by Porter's father, Maine police said. The house is believed to be the last place Perdomo was seen alive, investigators said, according to ABC News.

The property where the body was found is believed to be owned by relatives of Porter, police said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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