Elementary school on lockdown as man escapes ambulance

Hatton McCredie Elementary School in Kingdom City was on external lockdown for two hours Thursday.

The lockdown was the result of an arrested Montgomery County man's escape from an ambulance on his way to a Columbia hospital following his arrest, Lt. Clay Chism with the Callaway County Sheriff's Department said.

At 12:37 p.m. the Missouri State Highway Patrol informed the Sheriff's Department that the suspect had escaped from the ambulance near the Hatton overpass. The department could not deter- mine based on the notification if the man posed a threat to public or school safety so they notified school administrators and put the school on external lockdown.

"We'd much rather play it safe and have the school on lockdown," Chism said. "The Sheriff's office takes a strong approach to school safety."

The Highway Patrol and officers from the Callaway Sheriff's Department searched the area for the suspect but were unable to locate him. At 2:20 p.m. the department contacted school officials to take the school off lockdown and resume with normal procedures.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Montgomery Sheriff's Department had not responded for comment as the Sun was preparing for press Thursday night.