Melbourne family shaken after wanted man uses their home in police standoff

MELBOURNE, Fla. — A Melbourne family is still shaken up Thursday night after a wanted man barricaded himself inside their home.

The family said they were having a normal day Wednesday until Wade Jackson, a man they didn't know, kicked in their door.

Jackson, 24, then held police and SWAT at bay for several hours.

"You never know what's going to happen," said one of the residents, who asked not to be identified. "I don't know, it's hard to explain."

The man said SWAT members had to break out windows in the house to reach Jackson.

"I never saw him. I never heard him," the man said.

But he said he knew someone was inside of his home.

"I go to the back door, the door was kicked in. A big panel on my back door was kicked in. The cop told me to get back. I told him my wife and child were in the house. He told me, 'I'll get them out.' He got them out," the man said.

It would take around five hours to get the Jackson out of the home.

The Brevard County Sheriff's Office's Game Over Task Force was searching for Jackson on a long list of charges

Investigators said when Jackson refused to communicate they went in after him.

They said Jackson was found hiding behind a bed in a back bedroom.

On Thursday, Melbourne's City Manager Michael McNees said the city would be making repairs to the family's home.

"We'll be sure that they're taken care of. I can't imagine what kind of nightmare it's been and we don't want to make it any worse," said McNees.

"I'm just glad that nobody's hurt. They did their job. Nobody got hurt. Everybody's safe and I lived to talk to you about it," said the man.

Jackson now faces new charges for fleeing and eluding, and occupied burglary, investigators said.

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