A 10-hour standoff was successfully resolved in Central Florida after the suspect barricaded himself in an apartment and held a hostage with a firearm.
On May 23rd, at 9:26pm, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office Communication Center received a domestic disturbance-related call at the Allegro Palm apartment complex in Riverview, near Tampa.
Once deputies arrived on the scene, they made contact with a family member who explained that the suspect, 29-year-old Najah Strickland, had barricaded himself in an apartment where he was holding his mother, 47-year-old Chaketa Mister, hostage with a firearm.
Deputies attempted to contact Strickland multiple times but were unable to do so. HCSO’s SWAT Team, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team, and Crisis Negotiation Team were called to assist. Once on scene, they attempted to make contact with Strickland through the front door, at which point he fired several shots at local deputies.
A short time later, the SWAT Team was able to locate Chaketa Mister in the main bedroom and safely remove her from the apartment through the third-floor bedroom window.
“Our deputies quick thinking and bravery allowed them to rescue an innocent victim from a third-story window,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister. “If our team had not acted swiftly and decisively, this situation could have ended in tragedy.”
Deputies made several more attempts to make contact with the suspect, including sending in robots to assess the situation inside the apartment and deploying CS gas in an effort to get the suspect to surrender.
After 10 hours of attempting to get the suspect to come out peacefully, deputies located and apprehended the suspect.
“I am so proud of the dedication and commitment our team shows at every scene, especially after hours of diligent work and attempts to get this suspect to surrender peacefully,” said Sheriff Chronister. “Our deputy’s calm demeanor and decisive actions ensured the safety of everyone involved.”
Strickland is facing charges of:
- 2 counts of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon
- 1 count of False Imprisonment
- 6 counts of First Degree Attempted Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer
