Hostage Situation Resolved at South Central Correctional Center

Licking, Mo. (KFMO) - A tense situation at the South Central Correctional Center in Licking, Mo. ended safely Monday afternoon after a staff member was held hostage by an inmate for several hours.

According to the Missouri Department of Corrections, around 8 a.m., an offender entered a staff office inside a housing unit and took a clerical employee hostage. Emergency protocols were immediately activated, and the department worked with the Missouri State Highway Patrol and local law enforcement to bring the situation under control. At 1 p.m., the staff member was released unharmed. Officials say the employee was debriefed and provided trauma support services.

Fifteen minutes later, the Missouri State Highway Patrol SWAT team and the Corrections Emergency Response Team entered the building, where the offender surrendered and was taken into custody.

The Department of Corrections says the incident remains under investigation.