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Negotiators try to reason with Alabama standoff suspect

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    Jonathan Serrie reports from Midland City, Alabama

  • Duration 3:35
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But first from -- Thursday night a little boy is right now settling in for his third night.

Held hostage in an underground bunker with a suspected murderer by his side.

That child said to be very scared and crying for his mother today we learned the suspect is armed.

And may be able to hold that child captive for a whole lot longer.

It's happening in lower Alabama started Tuesday when witnesses say a retired trucker named Jimmy dykes jumped aboard a school bus.

Killed the driver and grabbed a child.

Police say that -- dykes took the five year old boy to an underground bunker and his own home.

The police chief says the bunkers about six feet by eight feet it has electricity but TV in supplies that they say could last for weeks.

It also has a PVC pipe that stretches to the surface and negotiators have been using that to communicate -- dikes.

But the chief says he has been known to spend up to eight days at a time down there.

Neighbors say dykes is an angry and violently explosive man a man who threatens children.

And once beat to death a dog because that dog crossed to his side of the street.

Dykes was supposed to appear in court yesterday on accusations he -- some neighbors with a gun earlier on studio B I spoke with a one of those neighbors.

He says he'd been driving along with the spam like when dikes flagged him down.

And started cursing him.

About a third time -- -- him he needed to calm down.

-- -- dived turned and ran ran probably thirty put to -- is Brian and what out of -- the neighbor says when he saw that he floored it.

And heard two gunshots as he sped away.

Another neighbor says Jimmy dykes has always been kind of paranoid.

He does not believe in any form of government.

He does not he believes that the government is is the enemy.

And -- bet everything I is a conspiracy.

So that's the man with whom negotiators are now trying to reason.

So far without much success.

-- -- up story Jonathan series on it live and dale county in lower Alabama any signs of progress tonight Jonathan.

Almost -- police are releasing few details tonight about their ongoing negotiations but we do know that that one line of communication.

In the form of a PVC pipe is still open giving authorities an idea of what's going on in that underground bunker.

Authorities say the five year old boy is unharmed physically but as you can imagine emotionally it's a different story lesson.

We know that -- frat boy's mother and his grandparents.

And -- this shooter does not release this young boy and his family his -- made them understand.

And Midland city mayor -- skipper says he knows the suspect personally.

And can't imagine him causing any harm to that child.

Down in that underground bunker shot we haven't heard from the child's family job and do we know how they're holding up.

How will the mayor says that he -- spoken with both the parents and the grandparents and that they're actually doing remarkably well.

Give in all of the pressure of the circumstances.

That there.

Experiencing right now also -- heard from Alabama governor Robert Benson -- -- -- office telling fox that the governor has spoken.

With the young hostages much your mother.

Pledging his support.

And assuring her that authorities are doing everything.

In their power to bring this hostage standoff to a close as quickly as possible shot Jonathan -- back to him for updates from dale county Alabama -- about.

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