Discovery Channel Headquarters: Hostage Standoff!

Montgomery Country, Maryland Police Department is currently in a hostage standoff with a suspect at the Discovery Channel Headquarters. The suspect, James Jay Lee, has been a long time protester of the Discovery Channel as was recently arrested outside of the building in February of 2008. At the time of this writing, the negotiations with the suspect has been going on for about an hour. There is a daycare facility on the first floor of the building and police are saying that as far as they can tell, the building has mostly been evacuated with a few hostages still being held inside. However, police will be going under the assumption that there are hostages inside.

Previous reports had the device the suspect carried in as explosive or some kind of other dangerous device. Follow along right with us HERE in our forums. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those involved and we hope everything can be resolved quickly and safely!

Below the jump, you will find the email that Discovery sent to it’s employees earlier this afternoon

Subject: URGENT: Employees Should Go Home – Don’t Return to 1DP Until Further Notice Employees at 1DP should go home for the remainder of the day. No employee should return to 1DP for any reason. Employees with cars at 1DP should not return to the office, but instead use an alternate mode of transportation.

The children from Discovery Kids Place are safe and with their teachers at the McDonald’s at the intersection of Colesville and Second Aves. Parents should meet their children there and go home for the remainder of the day.