Suspect in custody following intense high-rise search in North Central Phoenix
PHOENIX (FOX 10) -- A North Central Phoenix neighborhood was put on lockdown Wednesday afternoon, with police telling people to stay indoors.
It was a two-hour long search that ended with police arrested Robert Downing, a known felon who is being sought for probation violation.
"He was found hiding in a storage closet in the garage," said Sgt. Derrick Elmore with Phoenix Police.
Police officials say they were trailing Downing, but he figured it out.
"The suspect caught wind of the surveillance over at St. Joseph's hospital," said Sgt. Elmore. "At that point, he ditched the car that he was in, changed clothes, the air units still had him picked up."
Downing ducked into the parking garage at 2828 North Central, just as people were trying to head home for the night.
"When I made the turn, I saw some vehicles," said Dashon Hawkins. "Next thing I know, I saw some officers. Then I looked at my mirror, and there was about seven, eight officers with AR-15's coming in, and they were coming from everywhere."
"Just intimidating," said Cassandra McAfee. "When you see an officer with a big rifle, you kind of want to get out of the way."
"[Downing] had a six-inch knife on him," said Sgt. Elmore. "The SWAT team was able to use less-lethal force to get him to comply, and take him into custody."