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Man caught after escaping during SWAT standoff at Orlando apartment

ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando police surrounded an apartment building for hours Tuesday morning after getting reports of a domestic violence assault.

The incident happened at the Waterstone apartments on Long Road, where neighbors said they heard numerous gunshots.

"I dropped to the floor because I didn't know what was going on. All we heard was loud booms," said resident Oraine Pollard.

SWAT team members threw smoke canisters into an apartment before going in to search for 51-year-old Matthew Mikell, authorities said.

"He was a nice guy, he was cool. He was like one of the best maintenance guys they had," said Pollard.

The suspect had apparently stopped working for the complex but still lived in the area.

Police said around 9:30 p.m. Monday, Mikell's girlfriend called police saying he was threatening her with a gun. She got out of the unit and Orlando police said they surrounded the area while a negotiator tried to talk Mikell out of the apartment.

But, Orlando police said when they were able to get inside the apartment, Mikell was not there.

"Simply because the fact that we don't know where the suspect is; we only know what the victim says, he could have been anywhere inside the complex. Everybody stays inside their apartments," said Sgt. Lovetta Quinn-Henry of the Orlando Police Department.

Police later allowed resident into their homes following an earlier evacuation.

Police said they were not sure at what point Mikell slipped away.

A warrant was out for Mikell's arrest on an aggregated assault with a firearm charge. At about 8 a.m. Tuesday, Orlando police said they captured Mikell inside the apartment complex.

The victim, whose name was not released, is safe. She suffered minor injuries during the altercation with Mikell, police said.