St. Petersburg, Florida -- UPDATE: The standoff with a suspect barricaded inside a Lealman home ended peacefully after the man surrendered himself to deputies, Pinellas County Sheriff's officials said Wednesday night.
According to the latest report, 32-year-old Andrew M. Giannisis pointed a gun at a St. Pete Police officer who pulled him over just after 12 a.m. Wednesday, and then fled the scene.
Officials were unable to locate him right away, but reportedly spotted his car off of 46th Ave. in Lealman, and later found Giannisis at a home off the 4400 block of 40th St.
Deputies reportedly obtained an arrest warrant and tried to make contact with the Giannisis, but did not receive a response- causing them to call in SWAT and Negotiator Response Teams around 2 p.m.
Officials said they were eventually able to reach Giannisis over the phone, which resulted in several hours of negotiations.
The standoff ended after SWAT Team members released chemical agents into the home. Reports said Giannisis walked out just 30 seconds later.
The SWAT and Negotiator Response Teams worked the standoff for nearly six hours. Giannisis was taken into custody around 8 p.m., and has since been taken to the Pinellas County Jail.
PREVIOUS INFORMATION:
Pinellas County SWAT team members are currently at the scene of a standoff in a St. Pete neighborhood.
Authorities showed up at the home in the 4400 block of 40th Street North while following up on a lead in connection with an aggravated assault incident against an officer during a traffic incident Tuesday night. During the traffic stop, the suspect pointed a gun at the officer and fled the scene.
An investigation into the suspect's whereabouts lead deputies to the home where a perimeter was set up.
10 News will have more on this developing story as soon as we hear anything.