Georgia motel standoff ends when suspect stabs himself

DECATUR, Ga. - A standoff at a motel outside Atlanta that involved a number of children ended Tuesday morning with the suspect stabbing himself but no one else injured, police said.

Authorities had surrounded the motel as the man refused to leave a room, prompting concerns about the safety of several children inside, police said.

The man was taken to a hospital in critical condition, DeKalb County police Maj. Stephen Fore said in a statement.

The man had been armed with a knife, DeKalb County interim Police Chief James Conroy told WSB-TV. Police later identified him as Korrie Thomas, 36, and said he is facing charges of false imprisonment and obstruction.

A woman and 11 children ranging in age from 3 months to 17 years old were inside the room and Thomas would not allow anyone to leave, Fore said.

Jail records did not list an attorney for Thomas.

Police said the ordeal began shortly after 2 a.m. Tuesday and ended about five hours later.

A SWAT team had been called to the Rite4us Inn & Suites motel near the Decatur area, about 10 miles southeast of downtown Atlanta.