Dexter, Mo., man arrested after hostage situation

BLOOMFIELD, Mo. — A Dexter, Mo., faces charges of felonious restraint after a short-lived Sunday afternoon hostage situation in Dexter.

Toby Edward Lacy, 30, reportedly called 911 Sunday afternoon from a residence northwest of Dexter's city limits and told the operator that law enforcement had 10 minutes to come pick him up or he was going to start killing people.

As deputies began arriving on the scene and informing neighbors to stay indoors until instructed otherwise, emergency dispatchers began making telephone contact with Lacy. He said he was armed with a firearm and was going to kill his three hostages whom he was keeping in the back room, the Stoddard County Sheriff's Department reported.

Stoddard County sheriff's deputy Andy Harris said in his statement he spoke on the telephone with Lacy, who reportedly stated that he "wanted to go back to prison" and "if I shoot one of them I can go back."

Lacy's stepfather then arrived on scene and said that Lacy had been arguing with his mother earlier in the day and that she told him to leave. He said Lacy then became upset and told them that he was going to take a toy pistol and point it at the law enforcement officers to force them to shoot him.

When Sheriff Carl Hefner arrived, the dispatchers again made contact with Lacy, who reportedly said he "would surrender if the sheriff promises the dog won't bite."

Hefner and Harris then approached the front door of the residence and Lacy exited with his hands in the air and placed a black handgun on the trunk of a vehicle in the driveway.

A deputy then seized the weapon, which was found to be an air pistol capable of firing only pellets.

According to a statement from one of the hostages, at no point was the weapon pointed at any of the hostages, although he would not let them leave the residence.

Lacy's bond has been set at $12,500 cash only and he remains in jail at this time.

According to information obtained from Missouri CaseNet, Lacy pleaded guilty in 2000 to the Class C felony of second degree arson. He was given a seven-year suspended sentence, but had his probation revoked for leaving the scene of an accident in June 2001 and served his sentence.