Sedalia man arrested after 11-hour standoff

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Police arrested a Sedalia man early Wednesday on suspicion of kidnapping and having an explosive after an 11-hour standoff, police said in a news release.

Charles Morris, 45, was arrested on warrants for statutory sodomy, child molestation and not paying child support. Police also asked prosecutors to file charges of first-degree assault, possession of an explosive, kidnapping and unlawful use of a weapon.

Police were called at about 8 p.m. Tuesday to 805 N. New York Ave. after a caller reported a fight with a firearm and a shot fired, according to a Sedalia Police Department news release. One person got out of the house with a gun and gave it to police, the department said. Law enforcement then surrounded the house.

A 46-year-old woman inside who was being held against her will told officers an explosive was in the house and police started negotiating with Morris, according to the release. The woman told police at about 2:30 a.m. Wednesday that Morris had "passed out" and officers helped her escape, police said.

A highway patrol SWAT team went inside and found Morris in a bedroom after using a drone to surveil the home, according to the release. The highway patrol's bomb squad disposed of the explosive. No one was hurt.

Morris was taken to a hospital for evaluation, police said, and would be taken to the Pettis County Jail afterward.