Man arrested after allegedly threatening to kill police, hotel guests

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Columbia man was arrested and charged after he allegedly threatened to kill police officers and threatened to burn down a hotel and kill all of its occupants on Friday.

Steven Franke, 39, was charged with first-degree making a terroristic threat, resisting arrest, first-degree property damage and misdemeanor misusing 911. He is being held at the Boone County Jail without bond. An initial court appearance was set for Monday afternoon.

The probable cause statement says that Franke allegedly called 911 about 17 times on Friday and repeatedly claimed that he wanted to kill a police officer. Police learned he had failure-to-appear warrants in Boone County for a pair of misdemeanor cases. He is charged with fourth-degree assault and second-degree property damage in separate cases.

Police arrived to a hotel – whose location and name is redacted in the probable cause statement – and tried to speak with Franke through a hotel room door, the statement says. Franke allegedly threatened to burn down the hotel. The room was locked and a broken key allegedly was stuck in the deadbolt, the statement says. Franke also allegedly barricaded the door.

Police eventually made it inside the damaged room after an hour and took Franke into custody, the statement says. A hotel manager allegedly told police that Franke threatened to burn down the hotel and kill its 200 occupants, the statement says.

Franke allegedly caused $2,400 worth of damage to the room, court documents say.