TAMARAC, FLA. (WSVN) - Authorities have taken a young man into custody in a Tamarac neighborhood following a chaotic series of events that led to a standoff inside a home.
7SkyForce HD captured a heavy police presence at the residence along the 4600 block of Northwest 48th Street in Tamarac, at around 6:30 p.m., Monday.
Coral Springs Police officers surrounded the home but were later dismissed by Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies and their SWAT unit.
Investigators said it all started when officers approached the suspect at Coral Square Mall for panhandling. The man, later identified as 18-year-old Amari Morrah, informed officers he was homeless and walked into the shopping center.
An officer noticed Morrah had car keys in his possession and requested an unarked unit to monitor him.
Police said the suspect later got into a Honda and fled.
Officers determined the Honda was a stolen vehicle. They pursued it in the area of Rock Island Road and Commercial Boulevard, just east of the Florida Turnpike.
At some point, authorities said, Morrah rammed one of the unmarked police cars. The officer driving the vehicle was not hurt.
Investigators said once Morrah reached the neighborhood in Tamarac, he bailed out of his vehicle and ran into a home. A police helicopter spotted the vehicle and Morrah as he ran.
Investigators later determined the residence is where Morrah lives.
A man eventually came out of the home and was taken into custody for safety purposes, but Morrah remained inside the home with a relative.
Authorities established contact with him and attempted to reason with him to exit the house.
Morrah was taken into custody several hours later, just before 8:30 p.m. It remains unknown what charges he may face.
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