Pizza delivery ends prison hostage standoff


SYDNEY, Australia (AP) -- Officials bought 15 pizzas to secure the release of a guard who had been held for 42 hours by inmates at an Australian top-security prison, police said Monday.

Twenty prisoners were involved in the standoff, which began Saturday when inmates occupied part of Risdon Prison on the southern island state of Tasmania, complaining about conditions in the aging institution and taking guard Ken Hannah hostage.

Hannah finally was released late Sunday night after authorities caved in to demands for pizza.

"The final sticking point with the inmates was that they were requiring pizzas to be delivered," senior prisons official Graeme Barber said.

"We had held off in relation to that -- we obviously wanted the release of our staff member," he added. "Our staff member was negotiated out by the delivery of 15 pizzas."

The last prisoner involved in the siege gave himself up Monday. No one was injured.

The siege followed months of violence and unrest at Risdon, which holds one of Australia's most notorious convicts, Martin Bryant, who went on a shooting rampage at Tasmania's Port Arthur historic penal settlement in 1996, killing 35 people.

Originally posted by ::PIXELIZED::...

Man, what will happen when they get hungry again...

" Mate, I'm starving. Alright....GRAB HIM ! "

Short term solution. I would've requested pizza deleivery every friday instead of just once.



But can you imagine what the standoff must be like ?

Inmate : " WE WANT 15 PIZZAS IN THE NEXT 30 MINUTES OR THIS GUY GETS IT......gimme the list...OK SO IT'S GONNA BE 5 ALL-DRESSED, 6 PEPPERONI & CHEESE, 2 HAWAII SPECIAL...OH AND HOLD THE PEPPERS IN ONE OF THE ALL-DRESSED ONE CAUSE JACKSON HERE GETS HORRIBLE GAS AND I'M HIS CELLMATE SO DON'T FUCK WITH ME "

Policeman : " Erm, 15 pizzas in 30 minutes ? Shiate. Erm, what about girls ? Cigarettes ? Cocaine ? "

Inmate : " YOU DEAF, MATE ?!?! I SAID PIZZAS ! DON'T FUCK WITH ME !!! "

Policeman : " Dammit, be reasonable...... "
* turns back and whispers *
" alright Jones, get me Pizza Hut on the wire. NOW. "