Man, 73, Disarms Sheriff, Steals Sheriff’s Car, Kidnaps Driver
By Marshall White - Princeton, MO - 11/24/03
A 73-year-old Princeton man overpowered a sheriff, stealing his cuffs, gun and car, before carrying out a crime spree Thursday that included an armed assault on the Mercer County Sheriff’s Department, a kidnapping and an attempted escape across the state line.
Raymond Button was charged in Iowa with felony kidnapping, theft and possession of firearms, said Keith Davis, sheriff of Wayne County, Iowa. Federal and Missouri charges are pending.
And it all started with Mercer County Sheriff Duane Hobbs’ attempt at helping a disabled woman with her prosthesis.
The sheriff went to the woman’s home at noon Tuesday to check on her well being after receiving a call on her behalf.
But while attempting to help, the sheriff was surprised by Mr. Button, who also lived at the house, said Lou Collobert, a deputy sheriff. Mr. Button point and waved a loaded .357-caliber Magnum handgun at the sheriff. Mr. Button took the sheriff’s cuffs, which he then used to restrain Mr. Hobbs. And while Mr. Button handcuffed the sheriff, the pistol went off. Neither the sheriff nor the woman was injured. After taking the sheriff’s gun, ammunition and police radio, Mr. Button allegedly threatened to kill the woman, but eventually left the house. He escaped in the sheriff’s patrol car, Mr. Collobert said.
A few minutes later, Mr. Button showed up at the Mercer County Sheriff’s Department office and attempted to get at a communicator. Mr. Button was waving and pointing one of the weapons.
The communicator moved behind a locked door. Mr. Button instead grabbed a public defender and forced him to the ground, saying he would kill him, Mr. Collobert said. Mr. Button left the public defender on the ground and walked out of the office. The public defender was unharmed.
Mr. Button then ran out to the town square and hijacked a Dodge pickup.
Mr. Button kidnapped the Dodge’s driver and headed north in the pickup toward the Iowa state line, which is about 15 miles from Princeton. Mr. Button had threatened to harm his daughter, who lived in Des Moines, Iowa, which is where he was believed to be headed, Mr. Davis said.
Mr. Davis and a deputy had established a roadblock at the intersection of U.S. Highway 65 and Iowa Highway 2, about 12 miles north of the Missouri state line.
A state trooper had followed a suspicious pickup, driven by a man who matched Mr. Button’s physical description, to the roadblock.
"We got lucky, it went down nicely." Mr. Davis said.
At the roadblock, Mr. Button displayed two weapons, placed them on the dash of the pickup and surrendered, Mr. Davis said.
The pickup’s owner was found tied up in back, scared but uninjured.
"The victim" was pretty shaken up," Mr. Davis said.
The name of the kidnapping victim and the female resident in Princeton weren’t released, Tuesday.
Mr. Button has a prior record, Mr. Davis said, but the sheriff declined to give details.