Hialeah Standoff Ends After SWAT Moved In
HIALEAH (CBSMiami) – A daylong standoff between Hialeah Police and a wanted man who had refused to come out of a home he was in has ended with the suspect under arrest.
It was a dramatic ending as SWAT team members fired shock grenades to try to scare 40-year-old William Gomez to get him to surrender.
Three loud booms could be heard outside the home near East 5th Avenue and 53rd Street.
"We had tried to reach him by telephone and loudspeakers outside the home," said Carl Zogby, the Executive Assistant to the Chief of Police. "But we could not even get him to come to the window."
Then SWAT team members fired tear gas before entering the home.
"They even had to remove part of the roof and go through some drywall because Gomez was hiding in the attic," said Hialeah Police Chief Mark Overton.
"Even then, he resisted arrest and so we had to taser him before taking him into custody," said Overton. "He is ok and he faces a series of charges including resisting arrest."
"I want to commend the excellent work of our police force with our SWAT team and Special Response team members, along with Miami-Dade Police," said Overton.
He told CBS4's Peter D'Oench that "this was a very successful effort."
Police said Gomez had two outstanding warrants from Miami-Dade for DUI and extortion and threats on a public official.
Records also showed Gomez had a substantial history of arrests.
Over the years, charges against him have included possession of marijuana, child abuse with no harm, threats, extortion, aggravated stalking with a firearm, resisting an officer without violence, escape, battery on a pregnant woman, assault and attempted first degree murder.
Police moved cautiously because they were not sure if he was armed.
Overton said it was early this morning when Gomez spotted officers and tried to elude them by diving into a canal and then running into the home.
"He's definitely got a criminal history," said Zogby. "We don't believe that he has retired from that. He is active. He is bad news. He's definitely someone we need to get off the streets."
Police said family members including Gomez's mother and at least one cousin were at the scene.
Jesus Flores, a family friend, told CBS4 that Gomez was hiding inside his mother's home.
"My mother knows his mother," said Flores. They are good friends."
CBS4 asked Flores what Gomez's mother said about him.
"She's afraid of him," Flores said. "She moved to Broward County to get away from him. She wanted nothing to do with him."
