UPDATE 7/18: Lee County Sheriff's Office released the suspect's name via Facebook video on Monday night. Jason Howell had three out-of-county warrants when the SWAT team, bomb squad and drone pilots arrived on scene to arrest him.
The negotiation process lasted about six hours. Howell was charged with resisting arrest in addition to his three other charges.
Our original reporting continues below:
Deputies were able to arrest a person who had barricaded himself behind a steel car door with a loaded AR-15.
According to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, deputies had to walk up a narrow staircase that led to a homemade bunker - which was the steel car door and stacked tires.
The subject had an AR-15 pointed down from the top of the staircase - with 300 rounds of ammunition loaded into multiple magazines.
Deputies had been warned by the subject’s family that the subject said he was willing to shoot at anyone.
The subject was wearing body armor and a gas mask.
According to Sheriff Carmine Marceno, it was the deputies’ training, patience and technology helped them reach a peaceful resolution with the subject.
After several hours, the deputies took the subject into custody. No one was injured.
“This is yet another example of how the dangers faced by deputies every day are real and can have life-changing consequences,” Sheriff Marceno said. “The tools provided, coupled with the support from the great residents of Lee County IS what drives our deputies to serve and protect.”
