FRANKLIN COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for alleged criminal threat.

Just before 8:30 Saturday, police arrested Jeremy Penland, 38 years old, of Ottawa, Kansas, after  criminal threats were posted publicly in his name on social media threatening to “shoot up” Ransom Memorial Health (RMH) located at 1301 S. Main Street, in Ottawa, Kansas, according to a media release.

Before attempts were made to locate Penland and confirm the threats, RMH chose to lock down the facility at 7:17 p.m.  Ottawa Police Officers and Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Deputies were dispatched to the hospital to protect the staff and patients from potential harm.

A separate team of officers were assembled in order to locate Penland.  During this effort a vehicle was seen leaving the house of a Penland associate.  At 8:18 p.m. officers made traffic stop on E. 2^nd Street near the intersection with S. Cedar.

The driver of the car was cooperative, but a man ignored officers’ instructions and exited the car.   He was recognized by officers, deputies and Kansas Highway Patrol Troopers as Penland.  Penland would not follow officers’ instructions and concealed one of his hands behind his back before fleeing down an alley between E. 2^nd and E. 3^rd Streets.

Penland ran west between houses and was apprehended near S. Cedar Street after being subdued with a Taser and taken into custody at 8:22 p.m.

Officers arrested Penland and transported him to the hospital for a medical evaluation because of the Taser deployment.   The driver of the car was cooperative and released from the scene of the traffic stop.

After treatment, officers transported Penland to jail on suspicion of making criminal threats in the RMH incident. He was also arrested on charges in other cases from earlier in the day and in past several days.

He is being held on held on requested charges of aggravated assault, criminal threat, child endangerment, domestic battery, reckless driving, aggravated criminal threat and interference of judicial process according to the Franklin County Jail.