Woman taken into custody after armed standoff in Bonita Springs

BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. – One person is in custody following a tense, hours-long standoff that shut down part of Bonita Springs and drew a massive law enforcement response Saturday afternoon.

The Lee County Sheriff's Office confirmed the suspect, identified as Ciara Marie Smith, was taken into custody after barricading herself inside a residence along Imperial River Road. Yellow crime scene tape blocked the roadway for several hours as deputies worked to resolve the incident.

• RELATED: 1 person in custody following large police presence in Bonita Springs

According to LCSO, the situation began earlier in the evening when deputies responded to the area of Bonita Beach Road to assist the Collier County Sheriff's Office with an investigation. Authorities learned Smith had been inside Leoni's Pizza with a firearm in her waistband and had reportedly left a concerning note. Due to the location of Smith's residence, Lee County deputies assumed control of the investigation.

When deputies arrived at Smith's home, they made contact with her outside the residence. LCSO said Smith pointed a firearm at deputies twice, prompting one deputy to discharge their weapon. Smith then retreated into the home, barricaded herself inside, and refused commands to exit.

Witnesses in the area reported hearing gunshots around 3 p.m.

"I heard four shots about it," said Victor Celhar, who lives nearby.

"I wasn't sure it was shots at first, but then I realized when I heard the sirens," Celhar said. "I could hear the sheriff through the speaker saying, 'Come on, with your hands up,' several times. Being from Canada, it’s quite a shock to see that."

As the standoff unfolded, LCSO deployed multiple specialized units, including the Special Operations Unit, Crisis Negotiation Team, Major Crimes Unit, Advanced Technology Support Unit, and a Mobile Command Center. Deputies from both Lee and Collier counties were on scene, along with fire rescue crews. A helicopter and drones were also used to monitor the situation.

After several hours of unsuccessful negotiation attempts, deputies used drone surveillance to track Smith's movements inside the home. LCSO said Special Operations deputies ultimately deployed tactics that forced Smith to exit the residence.

Smith attempted to flee, but deputies used less-lethal rounds to stop her and safely take her into custody. No deputies were injured during the incident.

Sheriff Carmine Marceno praised the response, citing the coordinated efforts of deputies and technology.

"I am incredibly proud of the hard work of everyone involved in this major incident," Marceno said. "The efforts of our boots on the ground, combined with our state-of-the-art technology and the analysts in our Real Time Intelligence Center, led to the successful apprehension of a suspect with a lengthy criminal history involving violent crimes."

Authorities said Smith has a criminal history that includes charges such as throwing a deadly missile into an occupied vehicle, drug possession, grand theft, domestic violence, burglary, and violation of probation.

The deputy involved in the officer-involved shooting has been placed on paid administrative leave, which is standard procedure under agency policy. The investigation remains active.

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