Police responded to Hilton Miami Downtown after a guest refused to leave his hotel room after checking out.
Around 9:30 a.m., officers went to the man’s room on the 21st floor and heard loud bangs that may have been gunshots. They called for a SWAT team for back up.
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“We thought we heard some loud banging,” said witness John Gore. “We were just coming down here to look at the Ferrari dealership and just go see what was going on around town and we saw like 30 cop cars pulled up outside the hotel and we saw that there were cops running in with rifles and cops shutting down the street. It was crazy stuff.”
The hotel was evacuated while SWAT and a hostage negotiation team spoke with the man who barricaded himself in the building. Eventually, the Miami Police took him into custody when he surrendered himself voluntarily.
The Miami Herald reported that the man had no gun when he was taken into custody. A law enforcement source familiar with the incident told the outlet, “An officer reported gunfire after he got there. Police didn’t find any evidence of gunfire. The initial call was just to remove the guy from the room.”
The outlet hinted that the gunshots may have come from a police officer, though the police haven’t confirmed or denied that.
Miami police spokeswoman Kiara Delva, said, “They’re still searching for bullet holes. At this time there are no charges.”
The man whose name has not been released is undergoing a psychological evaluation.
