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Shocking footage shows police vehicle RAMMING into gunman as he chased hostage

The hostage bolted from the store with the gunman following close behind

An hours-long standoff ended after a police SUV ran over an armed gunman outside an Apple store in Amsterdam, The Netherlands on Tuesday. In videos that were uploaded online and posted on social media, the hostage can be seen bolting from the store with the gunman following close behind.

The suspect was rammed into and run over by a police car and sent flying through the air. After getting checked for explosives, the gunman was admitted to a nearby hospital. "We can confirm that the hostage-taker is out of the Apple Store. The hostage is safe," Amsterdam police reported on Tuesday night.

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The police described the incident as an armed robbery gone wrong at the store located in the busy Leidseplein area, a square in the center of the Dutch city. At around 5.30pm local time, the man held another person hostage at gunpoint. Sources state that the gunman was demanding €2 million worth of Bitcoin.

The caption of one video reads, "BREAKING: Hostage situation at an Apple Store in Amsterdam," while another says, "#Netherlands [Netherlands flag emoji]: A gunman took people hostage at the Apple store in #Amsterdam. He appears to be using an SMG which seems to be a possible Škorpion vz. 61 (or its Yugoslavian / Serbian copy: Zastava M84)." Another video was captioned, "Beautiful images about #gijzeling #Leidseplein. That hostage taker just flies through the air after being hit by DSI."

Later, clearer images of the gunman were posted on social media. He can be seen wearing a camouflage outfit while holding the other man hostage. "More photos of the gunman and the hostage at an #Apple Store in #Amsterdam, #Netherlands. The Škorpion vz. 61/Zastava M84 SMG can be clearly seen in the photos along with a possible pistol. Also note that the SMG seems to be chambered in .32 ACP (7.65x17mmSR)," said one post, while another read, "New photos from the #Apple Store in #Amsterdam, #Netherlands. The gunman can be clearly seen with a vz. 61/Zastava M84 SMG chambered in .32 ACP (7.65x17mmSR). The pistol grip seems to be black in the photo, so the SMG is probably a Zastava M84 (3rd photo shows an example)."

Witnesses said they had heard gunshots around the store at about 5.30 pm local time. The police reportedly deployed several special units to 'get the situation under control' after being alerted to an armed robbery at 5.40 pm. They tried to evacuate the area and urged people to stay indoors, but the district was packed with and some stayed around to film the final confrontation.

Police said the gunman was arrested after he ran out of the building and was hit by the police car in the central Leidseplein square, shortly after 10.30pm. The gunman was reportedly 'lying on the street and a robot was examining him for explosives' in front of the store in Leidseplein. No identities have been officially released.