Man Shot At Deputies During 10-Hour Standoff: Hillsborough Sheriff

RIVERVIEW, FL — A man was taken into custody after shooting at deputies during a 10-hour standoff Thursday night, according to a Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office news release.

A domestic disturbance at the Allegro Palm apartment complex was reported to HCSO’s Communication Center around 9:30 p.m.

A family member told responding deputies that the suspect, 29-year-old Najah Strickland, had barricaded himself in an apartment, where he was holding his mother, Chaketa Mister, 47, hostage with a gun, the sheriff’s office said.

Deputies tried to contact Strickland multiple times, but weren’t able to do so.

HCSO’s SWAT Team, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team and Crisis Negotiation Team were called in to assist. They also tried to contact Strickland through the front door, at which point he fired several shots at deputies, the agency said.

Not long after this, the SWAT Team located Mister in the main bedroom and safely removed 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," Sheriff Chad Chronister said. "If our team had not acted swiftly and decisively, this situation could have ended in tragedy."

Deputies tried several more times to contact Strickland, including sending in robots to assess the situation inside the apartment and deploying CS gas to try to get him to surrender.

After 10 hours of attempting to get the suspect to come out peacefully, deputies located and apprehended the suspect.

Strickland was charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, one count of false imprisonment and six counts of first-degree attempted murder of a law enforcement officer. More charges may be forthcoming.