An armed man entered the Maypearl police station this morning and threatened the police chief, authorities said.

The incident happened at about 5:30 a.m., and Maypearl officials said the police chief was doing OK.

"The town is safe and secure," said Mayor Kelly Jacobson.

Authorities said the police chief knew the man but had no previous law enforcement dealings with the suspect. They declined to provide further details on the altercation.

The suspect was not yet in custody, but authorities said they hoped to make an arrest in the next 24 hours.

Schools nearby were placed under lockdown for about 20 minutes later in the morning as a precautionary measure.

Phillip Reed, 51, who lives next door to the police station, said he woke up to the flashing lights of sheriff's patrol cars.

He said he was not surprised someone would try and break into the modest-looking police station.

"I imagine, he didn't know it was a police station because all it says (on the building) is City Hall," he said.

And he said the gunman probably did not know the building would be occupied so early in the morning.

"I imagine he was surprised by (the chief) being in there," he said.

The Ellis County district attorney's office, sheriff's office and Texas Rangers were investigating the incident.

The small town of Maypearl, which has about 940 residents, is about 10 miles southwest of Waxahachie.
Source The Dallas Morning News