At 11:18 pm Friday it ended.

In the middle of the 11 o'clock news Jamie Hood, with two hostages in front of him and three hostages behind him, all with their arms raised, walked out of the Athens duplex where he'd been holed up all day.

Just over an hour earlier, GBI Director Vernon Keenan appealed to Hood on live television saying he would not be harmed if he would come out of unarmed. Hood asked that it happen on live television to assure his safety.  Keenan said Hood called it his "insurance policy."

After Hood's arrest and subsequent move to the county jail, Keenan told reporters that Hood had been agitated and was armed.

"We believe he had been using cocaine during the afternoon," Keenan said.

As negotiations continued into the evening, hood released four of the nine people held, two men and two children. The remaining hostages were a man and four women.

Hood is the 33 year old Athens man wanted in the murder of Athens-Clarke County police officer Buddy Christian and the wounding of officer Tony Howard Tuesday following a botched kidnapping.  Howard was shot in the face and upper body, and is recovering from his wounds.

Visitation for Officer Christian is Saturday.  A memorial service will be held on Sunday at 2pm at the Classic Center in Athens.  Donations to a memorial fund may be made at any branch of Athens First Bank.

Hood's relatives argue the standoff could have ended Friday afternoon authorities brought Hood's mother to see him.

"He's ready for this to end," said Hood's sister Jennifer late Friday.  "He just wants to see his mother."

Jennifer Hood says her brother called his mother early Friday afternoon saying he wanted to see her.  She says he also called police asking them to bring her to them.

Police detained Hood's brother Matthew on Tuesday.  Brandi Johnson, the mother of Matthew Hood's children says Jamie wants to "come in alive so he can free his brother, because he didn't have anything to do with this," Johnson said.

"This is a nightmare for me.  I just want somebody to wake me up, but this is real life and I can't be waking up from this because it's really happening," Johnson added.

Hood and Johnson said they last spoke to Azalee Hood between 2:30pm and 3:00 p.m. Friday afternoon.  When Johnson called her again at 4, Hood reportedly said not to call again.

Officers would not say what led them to any particular site or what they found there.

Athens-Clarke County police also tried a new tactic Thursday, using their Facebook page and Twitter account to assure Hood that he won't be harmed if he surrenders.