Deputies respond to an armed barricaded subject in McGregor Gardens

LEE COUNTY, Fla. – A tense scene in Lee County lasted from Friday night into Saturday morning.

Deputies say Brad Whitlock barricaded himself inside of his home for almost six hours.

“You know it’s normal. You’ve got some kids running around and a few teenagers. For the most part it’s an older neighborhood.”

For nearly 15 years, Mike Ramina has called McGregor Gardens home. So when his front yard filled with deputies Saturday morning, he knew things were far from normal.

“You know just, that kind of stuff doesn’t happen here,” said Ramina.

It was just before 11 p.m. Friday when the Lee County Sheriff’s Office responded a home on Saint Andrew’s Circle for a domestic disturbance and shots fired call.

Deputies surrounded the home. They say Whitlock barricaded himself inside, armed with an weapon.

“With all the cops everywhere, and the helicopter roaming everywhere, it kind of was scary,” said Fransuas Hernandez.

Hernandez was one of many residents in the McGregor Gardens community who weren’t allowed to go home Friday night after deputies blocked off the neighborhood.

“She says ‘well, you can’t come here. You got to go. You can’t go home tonight,’” said Hernandez.

“The husband was intoxicated and had a gun, and had fired the gun inside the home,” said Lt. Jeff Dektas. He says the family made it out safe, but Whitlock remained inside for hours.

One neighbor said they heard a window break open, while another said they could hear the gunfire.

The sheriff’s office called out the special operations unit and negotiators to work on bringing a safe ending to the situation. More than five hours after the original call, Whitlock was taken into custody.

“They’ll look into what took place before the incident occurred, as well as after, and that will really determine charges down the road,” said Dektas.

Authorities say no one was injured in the standoff.