SWAT standoff in Hialeah ends after barricaded man armed with rifle surrenders
MIAMI - After more than seven hours, a SWAT standoff ended peacefully with the suspect being taking into custody.
"Thanks to the hard work of our negotiators and our SWAT team, and the patience that they have and the work that they constantly do, that is unrecognizable," said Sgt. Jose Torres with Hialeah PD. "He turned himself in after several hours. Again, we've been here since 11:30 (a.m.). Right now, he's going to be Baker Acted, under the Baker Act Law to get the assistance that he needs."
But prior to the man's surrender, Chopper4 caught him going in and out his home multiple times, all the while armed with a rifle and handgun.
And, according to statement issued by police, he was exhibiting concerning behavior, including discharging his firearm several times.
Officials even confirmed hearing shots being fired.
The situation prompted the evacuation of nearby homes. One of them was being used as a daycare.
CBS4 spoke to one of those parents, who was reunited with their children after several hours.
"I felt my soul came back to me and I was happy, and I felt relief and I feel good," said Alayon as she hugged her 4-year-old.
Ariana, a mother of a 4 year old who was in the daycare tells me she finally feels better and that a part of her soul has returned. @CBSMiami pic.twitter.com/IEmvVwazZk
— Trish Christakis (@TrishChristakes) July 28, 2022
And after the children and neighbors were moved to safety, officials say they continued the effort to resolve the incident peacefully.
"As long as this individual is not a threat to the public or officers, we have all the time in the world and that's exactly what we did. They're obviously protocols we set in place, and one of them is we took out the power in the home, so, it can get uncomfortable inside hoping that individual in this hot weather comes out, complies with our demands, and then we can take him into custody without incident. And that's exactly what happened," added Torres.