Enraged man holds off police, burns vehicle before surrender
By LYDA LONGA
Staff Writer
Last update: 02 September 2003
DAYTONA BEACH -- Police here surrounded the home of an 18-year-old man early Monday evening after he threatened to burn down his house on Trixie Street.
Before a peaceful surrender, Rasheem Brown kept police at bay for almost five hours after he holed up in a second-floor room of a house he shares with his mother and her boyfriend, police said.
Brown was threatening to burn down the house at 309 Trixie St., police said, but instead torched a family vehicle that was parked behind the light blue home.
"The car fire almost spread to the house," said Daytona Beach fire Lt. John King. "The firefighters got there just in time to put it out, but the fire did some damage to the back of the house."
When police arrived at the scene just before 6 p.m., Brown had shattered the sliding glass doors of the first floor of the house with a sledgehammer. He also spent about 20 minutes hurling videotapes through the a second-floor window, police said. Occasionally, he would peek out at police and yell, then cover the window again with some light gray bedding material.
His mother, whose name was not available Monday, told police at the scene that her son had recently had brain surgery and that "he wasn't acting right."
"I told police to put him in jail," she bellowed as an officer hugged her and tried to console her. "He has brain damage."
Several neighbors said they thought Brown was distraught over an argument he had with his mother concerning a disability check. Other neighbors also claimed they heard five gunshots from the home.
But police did not confirm that Brown was armed and said that what residents probably heard was Brown breaking windows with the sledgehammer.
Brown came out of the house through a second-story window at the rear of the house. He paced on the roof for a few seconds before police took him into custody.
Police spokesman Sgt. Al Tolley said Brown was taken to Halifax Medical Center for observation.
[email protected]
By LYDA LONGA
Staff Writer
Last update: 02 September 2003
DAYTONA BEACH -- Police here surrounded the home of an 18-year-old man early Monday evening after he threatened to burn down his house on Trixie Street.
Before a peaceful surrender, Rasheem Brown kept police at bay for almost five hours after he holed up in a second-floor room of a house he shares with his mother and her boyfriend, police said.
Brown was threatening to burn down the house at 309 Trixie St., police said, but instead torched a family vehicle that was parked behind the light blue home.
"The car fire almost spread to the house," said Daytona Beach fire Lt. John King. "The firefighters got there just in time to put it out, but the fire did some damage to the back of the house."
When police arrived at the scene just before 6 p.m., Brown had shattered the sliding glass doors of the first floor of the house with a sledgehammer. He also spent about 20 minutes hurling videotapes through the a second-floor window, police said. Occasionally, he would peek out at police and yell, then cover the window again with some light gray bedding material.
His mother, whose name was not available Monday, told police at the scene that her son had recently had brain surgery and that "he wasn't acting right."
"I told police to put him in jail," she bellowed as an officer hugged her and tried to console her. "He has brain damage."
Several neighbors said they thought Brown was distraught over an argument he had with his mother concerning a disability check. Other neighbors also claimed they heard five gunshots from the home.
But police did not confirm that Brown was armed and said that what residents probably heard was Brown breaking windows with the sledgehammer.
Brown came out of the house through a second-story window at the rear of the house. He paced on the roof for a few seconds before police took him into custody.
Police spokesman Sgt. Al Tolley said Brown was taken to Halifax Medical Center for observation.
[email protected]
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