Wayne County man who fled traffic stop arrested after manhunt

GREENVILLE, Mo. -- After allegedly fleeing from officers earlier in the week during a traffic stop, a Wayne County, Mo., man is behind bars.

At about 10 p.m. Thursday, about 20 to 25 members of the Missouri State Highway Patrol and its SWAT team, the Wayne County Sheriff's Department and SEMO Drug Task Force arrested Billy J. Hancock, according to Trooper Clark Parrott.

"We received information that Hancock was in a house off of Highway 34 in Wayne County," said Troop E's public information officer.

Authorities had been looking for the 50-year-old since about 3:30 p.m. Wednesday when a trooper attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle being driven by Hancock.

Hancock allegedly fled in his vehicle, leading officers on about a 15- to 20-minute chase, and then drove into a wooded area, where he abandoned his vehicle and fled on foot.

Officers conducted a ground search for Hancock, but were unable to find him.

After receiving the information and armed with both arrest and search warrants for Hancock, Parrott said, a perimeter was set up around the home.

"The SWAT team made entry, and he was arrested without incident," Parrott said.

The SWAT team, according to Parrott, was brought in because Hancock had "numerous felony warrants, several of those for assault on law enforcement, and he fled the last time a search warrant was served at his house.

"We just wanted to make sure he was taken into custody."

Officers also had the search warrant, Parrott said, in case "he was not there. The [property] had multiple buildings on it; we had to be able to clear each one of them."

Hancock was arrested on Wayne County warrants for two counts of assault, possession of marijuana, two counts of dangerous drugs, a family offense and resisting arrest.

Hancock was booked at the Wayne County Jail and later transferred to the Madison County Jail. He is being held without bond.

Pertinent address:

Greenville, MO