Man, 73, arrested in Iowa after overpowering Missouri sheriff

PRINCETON, Mo. (AP) -- A 73-year-old man is accused of overpowering a northern Missouri sheriff, taking his handcuffs, gun and squad car before threatening people at the sheriff's office and hijacking a pickup truck.

Princeton resident Raymond Button was arrested later Tuesday in Wayne County, Iowa. Keith Davis, the sheriff there, said Button had been charged with felony kidnapping, theft and possession of firearms.

The incident began after Mercer County Sheriff Duane Hobbs went to the home of a disabled women to help her with her prosthesis. He went to the home about noon to check on her well-being after getting a call on her behalf.

While the sheriff was trying to help the women, he was surprised by Button, who also lives at her home, deputy sheriff Lou Collobert said.

According to the account, Button pointed and waved a loaded .357-caliber Magnum handgun at the sheriff, then took his handcuffs. While he was using the cuffs to restrain him Hobbs, the pistol discharged, with nobody being injured.

After taking the sheriff's gun, ammunition and police radio, Button fled in his patrol car.

Minutes later, he showed up in Princeton at the office of the sheriff's department, waving and pointing a weapon.

Collobert said Button grabbed a public defender and forced him to the ground, saying he would kill him. The attorney was not injured.

He said Button then left the office and ran to the town square, hijacking a pickup truck, kidnapping its driver and heading north toward the Iowa state line, about 15 miles from Princeton.

Meanwhile, Iowa authorities set up a roadblock about 12 miles north of the state line. Davis, the Iowa sheriff, said that at the roadblock Button displayed two weapons, placed them on the dash of the pickup and surrendered.

The owner of the pickup was found tied up in back, scared but uninjured.

"We got lucky it went down nicely," Davis said.

Davis said Button had a prior record but declined to provide details.