Neighbors upset police needed two trips, SWAT team to nab suspect

TAMPA - Neighbors are upset after police used a SWAT team to apprehend a suspect that they had confronted hours earlier.

The Tampa Police Department's Tactical Response Team surrounded a North Tampa apartment Tuesday morning, just hours after officers had questioned the man they were hunting.

The saga began late Monday night, when officers responded to a report of shots fired at the Parkview Apartments. Police honed in on Antwoine Noland's unit, and the man agreed to allow police to search the home.

There, they confiscated an AK-47 assault rifle, which turned out to be reported stolen in 2007. When they went to ask Noland about the gun, he was nowhere to be found.

After leaving the scene, police found that Noland was recently released from prison. Convicted felons are not allowed to possess firearms.

They returned to the apartment hours later to confront the suspect. He refused to let them in, and would not come out. His girlfriend and her 4-year-old son were inside with him during the hour-long standoff.

Police brought in the Tactical Response Team, and Noland soon came out of the residence.

Tampa Police Major John Newman said "I think he realized we wern't going anywhere, and when he realized that, he came out peacefully."

Neighbor Christina Gaffney is angry that it took police two trips to apprehend the suspect. "They leave and then they come back and then we're stuck with all this. They did not do their job," said Gaffney. "I'm upset with all that gunfire. They decided to leave. They should have stayed until they caught the guy."