SWAT standoff ends, another suspect escapes

For the second time in a week, a SWAT standoff ended with police entering a home to find the suspect was gone.

Wedsnesday's standoff on Jacksonville's northside lasted over eight hours as police surrounded a home off Norwood Ave.  Police are now looking for 22-year-old Alrah Bynum, a convicted felon with other warrants out for his arrest on charges including aggravated assault and throwing deadly missiles.

On Sunday in a seperate incident, Jacksonville SWAT had a Southside home surrounded for five hours, and when police entered, also found their suspect had fled.

The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office says the call came in just before 4 a.m. about possible shots fired at the home and when patrol units got on scene they quickly realized they were dealing with a barricaded suspect.

Steve Morrow lives next door to the home police had surrounded and says they woke him up at 5 a.m. and asked him to leave. He says he heard police telling the suspect to come out with his hands up as he, his sister, and his niece left their home. Morrow says he just wanted to get out in time to make sure his 8-year-old niece was safe.

"I was also worried about getting out in time because, you know, he might come out cowboy-style."

Morrow says he recognized the car parked there this morning as belonging to a suspect in a January shooting that happened on the same road.

"Allegedly he's already a convicted felon, so if he shot somebody, 10-20-life it's a done deal anyway, so he might try to hold court in the streets, there's no telling," said Morrow.

JSO has still not confirmed whether Bynum is the same suspect from the January shooting.

Loud pops and bangs were audible throughout the morning as police discharged some sort of weaponry at the home. Hartley would not confirm what, exactly, police were using.

Anyone with information about Mr. Bynum's whereabouts is asked to call JSO at 630-0500.