Standoff at south Tampa apartment complex

TAMPA - An hours-long standoff at a south Tampa apartment complex ended with a man in custody, and no one hurt.

Residents of the Madison Soho complex along South Howard Avenue got automated phone calls around 7 a.m. advising them to stay in their apartments until the situation was over.

It all started around 3 a.m. when police say 34-year-old Daniel Lockhart called them, saying there were around 20 people trying to break into his apartment.

Officers responded, but didn't find anyone attempting a break-in.

About 30 minutes later, police said they got a call from an out-of-town relative concerned about Lockhart.

When police went to check on him, they say he refused to come out, and said he was armed with at least two rifles. He also indicated he had his sister inside the apartment with him.

At that point, police called in a SWAT team, hostage negotiators, and blocked off streets near the complex. They also sent out the automated message to residents of the complex.

It took a little over seven hours before Lockhart surrendered. He requested to come out of his apartment through a ladder, and wanted a TV camera there taping his exit.

Tampa police spokeswoman Laura McElroy said they brought the ladder, and arranged for a City of Tampa camera crew to be in front of the ladder.

Lockhart's sister came down the ladder first, then Lockhart came out clutching papers and a laptop.

McElroy said Lockhart claimed to be a federal employee with the IRS, and he said he had proof that the CIA was trying to infiltrate the IRS.

Lockhart isn't facing any charges, but was Baker acted and taken to a hospital for evaluation.

"We had an individual who was claiming to be heavily armed, and we wanted to resolve this peacefully, and thankfully that's what happened," McElroy said.