Police Swarm Hilton Hotel In Downtown Miami; 1 Man In Custody

MIAMI, FL — One man was taken into custody from a hotel room on the 21st floor of a high-rise Hilton hotel in downtown Miami Friday as heavily armed officers swarmed the building to investigate reports of gunfire.

The incident took place at the Hilton Miami Downtown located at 1601 Biscayne Boulevard, a sprawling tower with views of Biscayne Bay and the downtown area.

"After about four hours or five hours of being out there, the officers finally managed to place him into police custody," Officer Kiara Delva of the Miami Police Department told Patch. "At this time, it is unclear if he will be facing any charges but he will be taken to a mental health facility for treatment and evaluation."

Delva said that police had still not located a gun in the hotel as of Friday afternoon. Parts of the hotel were evacuated as well as a nearby Burger King and Checkers restaurant.

It was not immediately clear if the man, who has not been identified by police, surrendered or if police made a forced entry.

Police Lt. Freddie Cruz told reporters earlier that the call came in around 9:30 a.m. He said that the heavy police presence, which included SWAT and at least a dozen marked police cars, was ordered out of an abundance of caution.

"We've seen tragedies in the past in other parts of the world," he said earlier, adding that a hostage negotiator was also on the scene. "We don't want to see it here so we are taking all of the precautions."

The greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, which has offices inside the hotel, posted a photo of the police presence on social media and assured members that its employees were safe.

"The hotel has requested that the chamber evacuate its employees for their safety. Everyone on our staff is safe," said the post. "At this point we are not aware of the extent of the situation but please follow your local news for more information."

Miami police asked motorists to avoid the area for a time between NE 15th Street to NE 17th Terrace on Biscayne Boulevard as a result of the incident. The streets reopened by Friday afternoon.