Neighbors recall frightening scene during Apex manhunt
APEX, N.C. (WTVD) -- The chaotic Friday afternoon began with a call from Raleigh Police to Apex Police alerting them that 2 shooting suspects had been spotted in the area.
Apex police found the suspects, and a foot chase ensued. When the suspects managed to evade police, a nearly 3-hour long standoff put a quiet Apex neighborhood on lockdown and on edge.
"Folks were calling (Apex Police) communications center, and we were telling them to stay inside," said Apex Police Capt. Blair Myhand. "And anybody we saw we were asking them to stay inside their apartment."
Chopper 11 HD arrived on scene just after police say the suspects spotted the Apex cruiser behind them and hopped out of their car. They reportedly dashed into a 3rd floor unit of the West Haven Apartments on Tingen Road and locking themselves inside.
It quickly turned into a standoff with the suspects, who police said were armed and dangerous.
"[There was] a box of ammunition in [their] car, so we treated that as if they had a handgun. Obviously they were shooting suspects," Myhand said.
Police said it was 22-year old Shelton Amerson and 17-year old Marcus Greene barricaded inside the apartment of the girlfriend of one of the suspects.
Raleigh police had been searching for the pair since Thursday night. They were wanted in connection to a shooting on the 1100 block of North Raleigh Boulevard that left a man shot and wounded.
Less than 24 hours later, Amerson and Greene were holed up in Apex as frightened moms, dad, and young children were ordered to stay inside.
"We saw the SWAT team come in and dogs and rifles," said Krystal Brower, who lives across the parking lot from the scene of the standoff.
"My two brothers were the ones that saw the two men jump out of the car," one little girl recounted.
"It was kinda scary because you don't know who your neighbors are!" Brower said. "This is a guy we see all the time. We don't know him, but we see him drive through the neighborhood all the time."
Apex police set up a 1/2-mile wide perimeter around the neighborhood. Nearby Apex Elementary School was put on lockdown, although school had already dismissed for the day. Some after-school activities were affected.
Police felt confident the suspects were indeed inside the surrounded apartment and had not escaped unseen.
"I felt pretty confident we had them in this area," said Capt. Myhand. "We actually shrank our perimeter down."
After 3 hours of fruitless efforts to get the pair to surrender, Apex SWAT rammed in the door. Amerson and Greene gave up peacefully as neighbors snapped pictures from inside their apartments as the suspects walked away in handcuffs.
"We've never seen anything like that, full tactical gear and ramming through doors. It was pretty intense," Brower said.
Neighbors got the "all clear" from police a little after 7 p.m.
Amerson and Greene are behind bars at the Wake County Jail. Greene is charged with assault with a deadly weapon. Amerson is charged with aiding and abetting the crime.
