Cobb traffic: Road reopens after bank standoff

Windy Hill Road has reopened after the police investigation of a bank standoff at a Cobb County Wells Fargo brought lunch-hour traffic to a crawl.

Police reopen Windy Hill Road following end of bank hostage standoff. Suspect dead. Traffic is area back to normal. pic.twitter.com/ayhSVVRQki
— Tom Regan (@tomreganWSB) July 7, 2017

The road was blocked earlier from I-75 to North Park Place, causing heavy delays on busy Cobb Parkway, according to the Cobb County Department of Transportation.

Bank hostages freed in Cobb County but gridlock continues on Cobb Parkway with police standoff closing Windy Hill Road. Avoid area. pic.twitter.com/JwW0qDdnoJ
— Tom Regan (@tomreganWSB) July 7, 2017

Marietta police and Cobb officials warned drivers to avoid the area.

Motorists should avoid the area of Windy Hill Road and Circle 75 due to an incident in the County https://t.co/cmnlvyglzf
— Marietta Police (@MariettaPD) July 7, 2017

I-75 southbound traffic was heavy for hours back to Chastain Road, as armed officers blocked the exit ramp at Windy Hill.

The situation also affected traffic on I-285, according to the Georgia Department of Transportation.

About 9:30 a.m., police said suspect Brian Easley walked into the bank, claimed to have a bomb and held two employees hostage. The employees were released just after noon.

The standoff continued for roughly two hours before a robot found the suspect dead inside the bank, sources told Channel 2 Action News.

No injuries were reported.

In other news:

The advisory could last until Friday afternoon.

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