HANCOCK COUNTY, Miss.–Sexual battery and molestation of a child under 14 were the reasons Melvin Mason was in a Hancock County court Monday when he was able to slip away and take off. His journey on the run would take him all the way to the capital city and end with a stand-off with police Thursday afternoon.
News Mississippi affiliate WOSM reports Mason is a suspected member of the Aryan Brotherhood prison gang.
It was unclear how he ended up in Jackson, but police got a tip about him and responded to a house near the Metro Center mall about 1:30. The stand-off would last for four hours.
Mason had barricaded himself in the house and had a woman with him, who he may have known, and had her hostage. That made for an even bigger event, with the FBI and SWAT teams called in.
“He threatened to kill himself,” Asst. Police Chief Lee Vance told media. “I’m not aware of any threats he made to police, but he threatened to kill himself.”
The FBI negotiated with Madon to let the woman go, and eventually to give up. He was arrested inside the house.
“He decided that would be the best thing for him,” said Vance.
Mason has a long criminal history. He took off from the court when the judge ordered him to take a drug test.
