Armed Woman Surrenders After 13-Hour Standoff In Miami

MIAMI, FL -- An armed woman surrendered to Miami police after a 13-hour standoff that began early Tuesday morning and stretched well into the night. The incident unfolded near N. Miami Avenue and 20 Street when the woman barricaded herself in a white car with a firearm.

"I am happy to report this evening that she has now been taken into custody. She is now at a receiving facility. She is unarmed and she is receiving the help that she needs," declared Lt. Freddie Cruz of the Miami Police Department.

Cruz said the woman was in crisis. She was not injured in the standoff.

"We provided this young lady with water, with food," he said. "We took our time, and again we had a peaceful resolution."

The incident began with a traffic stop around 9 a.m. Cruz said hostage negotiators were attempting to convince the woman to lay down her weapon and leave the vehicle throughout the day.

"She did have that firearm visible," Cruz told reporters at the scene. "We have a lot of patience. We have time on our side because we want a safe resolution to this incident."

Video of the incident taken from a news helicopter showed SWAT vehicles in front and behind the white car in which the woman had barricaded herself.

"We don't want this young lady hurting herself or hurting one of our officers or anyone in the community," Cruz said during the standoff.

Police asked motorists to avoid the area of North Miami Avenue through NW 1 Avenue between 20th and 23rd Streets throughout the day.

"We had our friends from Miami-Dade police that assisted us with equipment, our friends from Jackson Memorial Hospital that had some on-site personnel," Cruz added. "We had out hostage negotiations team. We tried everything."

Lt. Freddie Cruz of the Miami Police Department addresses reporters near a white car where a woman barricaded herself on Tuesday. Photo courtesy Miami Police Department.