Yahoo Autos Ford Plant Shut Down After Man Claims He's Barricaded Inside With Guns and Explosives
Production at Ford’s Kansas City Assembly Plant is back online Wednesday morning after a serious security sweep involving local law enforcement and the FBI. The law enforcement action came as a result of an anonymous and threatening call being made to Ford’s safety and risk management team on Tuesday.
The call was placed at around 5:20 p.m local time, according to a press release from the Clay County Sheriff’s Department. The man on the line told employees that he was barricaded in the second-floor restroom in the paint area of the facility and that he was armed with explosives, a handgun, and a rifle.
“The man who called said he was an employee and was disgruntled,” the department statement reads. “He gave a name that is not an actual employee of the paint area. He did name his supervisor, and that was the correct name. We have not been able to make contact with him since that time. We pinged his phone and believe the phone number that he used may be spoofed.”
The automaker immediately ordered an evacuation on the site and halted production at the facility, which builds both the F-150 and the Transit. Law enforcement further noted that the road in front of the facility was shut down and the public was asked to avoid the area. The night shift was naturally canceled as well as the sweep got underway.
The Sherriff Office's Special Tactics and Response Team entered the facility to search for the allegedly barricaded individual, but were unable to locate the perpetrator. The department noted that it is possible that this was a “swatting” situation. The dangerous trend involves calling law enforcement agencies with a fake threat in the hopes that they dispatch armed units as a response.
"We are thankful there were no injuries," Ford Spokesperson Jessica Enoch told the Detroit Free Press. "We are grateful to employees for their cooperation with law enforcement, to UAW leadership for working together with Ford to manage the situation, and to law enforcement officers for their service. Production is resuming this morning."
Kudos to Ford and the local Claycomo, Missouri law enforcement for their quick and measured response to the situation.
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