Message on door leads to arrest of Hays man
Published on -10/11/2009, 6:34 PM
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By RYAN CHRISTNER
A Hays man was taken into custody Wednesday afternoon after posting a threatening message on a door outside the Ellis County Courthouse.
Sheriff Ed Harbin said a court security officer observed the man, whose identity has not been released, "jog up to the door" at about 2:44 p.m. and place the sign before retreating to his vehicle.
Investigating the unusual behavior, the officer inspected the note and immediately became concerned by what was written.
The text of the message also was not disclosed, but Harbin said what caught the officer's attention were the words "someone will die."
"There was nobody specifically targeted in this threat," Harbin said.
The suspect attempted to leave the scene and later was stopped by the security officer. He was taken into custody without incident.
After being detained, the man was evaluated by a counsellor from High Plains Mental Health Center and later transported to Larned State Hospital.
At a care and treatment hearing at the courthouse Friday, it was determined the man would continue to receive treatment in Larned.
Without further elaborating on the man's identity, Harbin said the suspect is someone his department has had dealings with several times before.
"We were familiar with him," he said.
