GO, GO, GO. >> HANDS UP. HANDS UP. HANDS UP. >> I said I was. >> On September 3rd, 20123, Alliance police in Ohio responded to a frantic 911 call. 59 years old, George Applebee had cut his girlfriend's throat and was dragging her back inside with a knife still at her neck. Officers arrived to the developing hostage situation where they'd be forced to make a split-second decision. Man, shoot that mother. >> Yeah, that ain't going to happen. Somebody bring a higan or a ram. Come on, man. Open the door. >> Oh, piece of car. >> Negotiators try to calm the suspect. >> Step back. Got >> it. Get by. Hurry. Yep. Put the other end in and twist. >> Put this fire code 18. Shots fire. >> Stand up. Stand up. Come out. Come out. Come out. Come out. >> Go. Go. >> Come on. >> Take her. You got her? >> Yep. I got her. >> Just go outside the house. Go outside the house. At this moment, officers knew they had to act. They weren't fearless. They just knew the victim was running out of time. And when you're the only barrier between a victim and a knife that's already drawn blood, even breaking down that door carries the weight of every decision. >> You all right? Calm down. Take a deep breath. >> Well, I was beating that door, man. I couldn't. You guys got to hurry up in the back bedroom. >> Come on. You got to let her get out. Gunshot. Two. Gunshot. All the way back. Did I go through? I don't. That's what I was looking. >> Wait. Two shot. >> Two. One. One shot. One down. One down. Flashlight. >> Okay. He's got >> Yeah. >> That one done. >> Yeah. To the head. Just two shots fired. Just two shots. >> Just one down to the head. >> What's that? >> No. >> He's still going to be the victim and then she's got a laceration to her neck. You guys, >> we're all good. >> This is your patient. What's your name, sweetheart? >> Anita. >> Anita. What's your last name? Anita. Okay. >> Going to the hospital. >> Yep. You got a laceration to your neck. You're going. >> Come on, man. I'm going to get you down the steps. I'm sorry. I'm not trying to rush you, but I'm trying to rush you. >> Yeah. I might throw up. I just ate that. >> All right. He's He's moving. >> Hey, guys. >> No. That's going to be no, bro. That's going to be nervous. Yeah. >> Oh, you're good. You're good. [cough] >> Probably should. [snorts] >> You all right? >> Yeah, I'm good. I'm I'm all right. I'm all right. You all right? >> Yeah, I'm good. >> Okay, >> secure his weapon and he stays with you now. The two of you stay together. Hey, shut everything off and he stays with you. The two of you stay together. Secure your weapon. >> Yeah, I was just I'm telling you just cuz I was like, "What the hell?" And just it's still hanging on my desk. One of the things I did I don't have my you know I don't wear my fing and I'm like what I Rob save for life man. >> Oh yeah I mean the knife >> right there man >> he had it in her throat when I come around I'm like oh my god see where the no that's a screw and then down there is like a plug. Yeah I was going to do seat earlier I don't have it and I'm like well hey >> officers smash the door and storm in the suspect grips the woman at knife point. Within seconds shots fire dropping him instantly as the terrified hostage is pulled to safety. >> Night here they're going. He says he's dragging her back inside. go back into a back bedroom. I ram the door open, little pry bar open. He's standing there with a knife to her throat. Rob turns the corner. Next thing you know, pow pow, he's gone. I got two in I got two in the room. I put Rob in a car with Lee Rose and told me to shut everything off and just sit there. Everything's shut off. Your gun secured in that car. You guys just have a seat in the front seat of your car and the two of you stay there together. We're not talking about nothing. >> You handle it. You all right? >> Yeah, I'm good. >> I know. I know. Just briefly give me what you saw. >> Struggle over the knife. Get the knife to her neck. Had her as a hostage. If I didn't take action, he's going to cut her. >> You already cut her once? Okay, I'm good with that. I just >> Well, no, no. I I think you did fantastic. Uh, obviously we all did the right thing here cuz we all get to go home. I just talked to Hillis on the phone. Him and the chief are aware. So is X. If you have an issue, call me on the ring. >> Thank you. >> In this moment, officers reveal just how close this turned to tragedy. They say the suspect fought for control of the knife, pressing it tight against the woman's neck. She was already cut once, and he was seconds away from doing it again. With no time left, the officer had to act or she wouldn't have survived. >> Two. >> All right. Yeah. Two waters if you don't mind. >> It might be just warm but water. >> Hey, just something because we got round here. >> How old is he? >> Yeah. He can't he can't touch anything. Don't even go to the room, dude. >> Yeah. That's a homicide. So, >> I mean, unless you absolutely need some medical attention. >> I have to call it in though. Okay. Yeah. Can you tell me where those bullet holes are in his head? >> They aimed right at his head. He had a knife around her throat. So, I can't tell you. If you got to go in there for medical reasons, you got water. Water. >> Go and grab some. >> You guys all need? >> Yeah. All right. Gray hair. It's left. >> Right. >> Yeah. That just keeps And I of all days I had them put up extra hot peppers on it. >> We just need to know everybody that goes in. >> You go ahead and go. I take it. You sure? >> Yeah. I'm sure. >> Okay. We're going to transport her up to line. They look pretty superficial. So, >> yeah. >> And I brought some waters up to the guys that are upstairs. They all said they were good. >> Appreciate you. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. What's his last name? George >> Applebee. >> Applebee. In the house with him. >> And what and what happened? What was going on? Were they arguing all day or what? >> Not that I know of. >> I mean, we were right here. here. I'm working on my bike. He opened the screen door and he told her to get the out and then he grabbed her in the headlock and slit her throat right in front of me at the door. >> Is who called you? >> No. Um >> she called. >> Who called? >> I called. >> You called? All right. So then you saw that? >> He said, "You tell him go back downstairs and I'm going to kill you." >> He hit her with a bat before. >> So what happened to just today? >> I was upstairs looking out the window and we kept hearing a lot of bump and be like, "Oh, that's him with her." You know, so all of a sudden the door busted open and he came. He had around in a choke hold and had a a big ass. >> What's your name? I know you, but what's your name? >> Carlo. My brain's going 100 miles an hour here. I'm trying to make >> Once the suspect is secured, officers move to nearby neighbors, questioning witnesses to find out what they saw and how everything started. >> Here or his sister won't let her. >> Let her house. He wasn't allowed to hear cuz a couple weeks ago he hit her with a baseball bat and blacked the whole time. >> What's your name? So, all you guys live here in one entrance. So, I'm going to put you at the bottom of the steps. Nobody comes or goes now. >> Yep. >> If you and Tomman want to switch, that's fine. Uh, Talson and Rose are in Rose's car. He's He said he's okay. Is >> he all right? >> Says he's all right. >> See anything? >> No. >> You guys check him out or anything? >> Do you want us to at least talk to him? >> Just ask him if he's okay. I >> Rose's car. >> Yeah, he's in Ros's. I know he's squared away, so just ask him. Just make, you know, Thank you. >> Yeah, >> dude. I'm Ch. I feel I'm going to pass out the toilets. I mean, the tub's just full of Just give me some air for a second. I >> buddy, everybody's okay. Step in here, take your vest off, and sit down. I threw up all over. I can't >> take your vest off. >> Did they break down the window then? >> I don't know. I I didn't know where anybody was. I show the hig and they set up here. So, >> well, I was handling that accident. How did this all come in? Did it come in through 91? >> I was eating. I heard something about 911, you know, and I'm like, what the hell? So, I mean, and I hear that there's a knife, you see a knife in somebody's throat or something. So, I'm like, oh, you see my sitting on the desk. I just obviously you know what you what you do. And so, they said, "We need a hig." I'm pulling up. I knew there was one in there. So, I pull where you need me. He said, "I'm coming out." And they said, "Okay, come out." He wasn't coming out. So they told me to start hitting the door and I was just beating the out of the door. Um, waiting for a shot to come through the door cuz I didn't know. So he said, "You want me to try?" So he's doing the same thing. Bam. And trying to bust that lock. I bust the lock out, but it must have been locked somewhere else or stuck. >> Yeah, there's a there was a just a slide lock. >> Okay, that's so uh >> the suspect, 59 years old George Applebee, was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators noted Applebee was known to police for decades of violent incidents. His girlfriend, 68-year-old Anita, survived the attack and was treated for cuts and stitches to her neck. Despite the trauma, she would ultimately go on to recover.