Patrol seeks man who fled from trooper

HIRAM, Mo. -- The Missouri State Highway Patrol continues to search for a Wayne County man considered to be armed and dangerous after he allegedly fled during a traffic stop Wednesday afternoon.

At about 3:30 p.m., a trooper tried to initiate a traffic stop on a vehicle believed to have been driven by Billy J. Hancock just south of the Coldwater Conservation Area, according to trooper Clark Parrott, Troop E's public information officer.

Parrott said that Hancock, 50, led officers on a 15- to 20-minute chase. After driving into a wooded area, Hancock "then apparently fled on foot," he said.

Sgt. Rick Sanders and canine Argo responded to assist in the search and the patrol's helicopter also was called in, Parrot said.

Deputies with the Wayne County Sheriff's Department also were among about eight officers involved in the search, he said.

"We did a ground search, but the dog lost the scent," Parrott said. "It was a heavily forested area; the helicopter wasn't any good."

The search, according to Parrott, was suspended Wednesday night due to darkness.

"We are still actively seeking Hancock," Parrott said.

"He has numerous warrants for his arrest for a whole litany of things," Parrott said. "I know at troop, the last count they had was 14, but there's probably more than that. I know he has numerous felony warrants for his arrest."

This isn't the first time troopers have been on the hunt for Hancock.

"This is the second time he has fled from us," Parrott said.

Hancock, he said, was the subject of a manhunt June 11 and 12 after he allegedly fled from his home when troopers were assisting agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration in executing a search warrant there.

At that time, Parrott said, officers conducted an extensive search for Hancock but were unable to find him.

Anyone with information about Hancock's whereabouts is asked to call the highway patrol at 573-840-9500 or the nearest law enforcement agency.