Suspect 'Violently Fought' SWAT Team, Sheriff Says

After hours of hiding from authorities inside a home at 4195 28th St. N. Wednesday night, a 24-year-old man jumped from a second-floor window and fought Pinellas County SWAT team members and deputies. 

"He violently fought. And there was a violent struggle on the south side of the house," said Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri. "It took several sheriff’s deputies and SWAT team members to take him into custody." 

During the struggle, Martiego J. Wallace allegedly reached for a SWAT team member's gun before being restrained. 

According to Gualtieri, no law enforcement personnel suffered any serious injures.

Wallace is charged with aggravated assault with a firearm, burglary to an occupied dwelling and resisting arrest with violence. 

Deputies began their search for Wallace Wednesday afternoon, after he allegedly made threats to a woman for "snitching" about a crime that occurred years earlier.

He allegedly then lifted up his shirt, showed the outline of a gun and said, "I’m going to kill you," and "this is for you and your brother." The female ran from the scene and called the Sheriff's Office. 

Responding to the scene, deputies spotted Wallace around 28th Street area Wednesday, when he ran inside a nearby home.

Inside the home there was a family with a small child upstairs. He told the family that we was not going to hurt them but had a warrant out for his arrest and was hiding from authorities. 

The couple took their child and fled from the home.

For more than four hours, Wallace remained inside the home, refusing to communicate with the Sheriff's Office.

At that time there were several street closures along 28th Street from 40th Avenue to 44th Avenue North were set up. 

Deputies then launched a communication device into the home that allowed authorities to engage Wallace and see his location inside the home. 

Gualtieri said Wallace was hiding under blankets in a child's room when he abruptly started running around the second story of the home opening all the windows.

That is when he jumped from a window and was confronted by the SWAT team. 

Both the female victim that reported Wallace and the family told the Sheriff's Office that Wallace had a gun. At this time, however, deputies have not been able to locate the weapon. 

According to Pinellas County Jail records, Wallace has several prior arrests that include drug and burglary charges. 

Gualtieri said that a warrant was issued for Wallace on Jan. 29 for violation of probation for burglary.