Man in custody after standoff that locked down school

DUNDALK, Md. - A man is in custody after a standoff that lasted several hours at The Winner Distribution Company in Dundalk Wednesday.

Officials with the Baltimore County Police Department say officers with the tactical team were dispatched to the beer distribution company Wednesday afternoon after reports of a potential hostage situation.

They say the initial call of the incident came at about 2:28 p.m. The man was taken into custody at about 6:40 p.m. without incident.

Witnesses say the incident began with a stabbing at a nearby Kmart. According to a report provided by the police, the suspect fled the Kmart after a few minutes, running to the nearby Colgate neighborhood. There, he threw a rock through the window of a home in the 7700 block of Eastdale Road and gained entry to the house. No one was home.

Window busted at home

Police say the suspect threw a rock through the window of this home on Eastdale Road and gained entry to the house. No one was home.

The suspect then fled from police by exiting the rear of the house. He ran to the local beer distributor in the 7600 block of Canton Center Drive, entering through the front door. Once inside, he refused to come out.

As of 6:30 p.m. the man was still inside the distribution plant and had been in communication with police negotiators. He was believed to be armed.

Police evacuated about 45 people from the business soon after he gained entrance. They were originally unsure how many people, if any, remained inside.

In response to the incident, Colgate Elementary School was placed on lockdown. Parents of children at Colgate lined the parking lot of the Kmart. About 250 children who walk to school were detained in the school until about 5:30 p.m. Police say all were returned home safely.

Check back with ABC2 News as we continue to develop this story.