Callaway Bank robbery, three suspects in custody

The Callaway Bank at the Lake of the Woods exit in Columbia was robbed at gunpoint Thursday afternoon, police said.

Lt. Geoff Jones with the Columbia Police Department said two men armed with at least one gun went into the bank and demanded money. They then fled the scene in a silver car.

Shortly after, a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper spotted the car driving eastbound on I-70 just outside of Kingdom City in Callaway County. Sgt. Scott White said the trooper tried to pull over the car at a stoplight and the high-speed chase began on Highway 54 heading toward Fulton.

White said the chase ended on State Highway HH after the car side-swiped another car, lost control and crashed. Three men inside the car took off running and were eventually taken into custody.

White said authorities then found a young child, about a year old, was inside the car. The child wasn’t hurt and was taken into custody by the Division of Family Services.

Columbia police, Fulton police and Callaway County Sheriff deputies assisted at the scene on Highway HH.

CPD detectives cleared the scene at the Callaway Bank around 5 p.m.

As of 5:30 p.m., the names of the three men taken into custody weren’t available.