Police Standoff Ends Peacefully In Miami Beach

MIAMI BEACH, FL -- A 27-year-old Miami Beach man was taken into custody Friday after allegedly barricading himself in his apartment for hours and threatening police officers.

Steven Duplessy of the 7300 block of Harding Avenue was charged with aggravated assault, aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer and resisting an officer without injury to his person.

Arrest documents said Duplessy got into a verbal argument with his girlfriend of eight years over financial issues and allegedly punched her in the forehead with a closed fist.

She called police on her way to seek treatment at Mount Sinai Medical Center. When police arrived, Duplessy allegedly hurled a "large brick" at one of the officers, which led to the standoff, according to arrest documents.

The documents said Duplessy also threw a knife out of an apartment window toward a police officer but the officer was not struck.

"The defendant began taunting officers by hiding in the bathroom and flashing the knife in and out of the bathroom while making threats to throw a knife," arrest documents said.

Ernesto Rodriguez of the Miami Beach Police Department said the incident ended peacefully with Duplessy being taken into custody after the SWAT unit was called out.

Motorists and pedestrians had been urged to avoid the area for a time. Miami Beach police released video of the scene below: