Employee overhears radio communication,
officers arrive at scene in 2 minutes
By Allen Edmonds
An employee at the Saddle Creek Logistics Services warehouse in Belton’s Southview Commerce Center overheard radio chatter with the words “active shooter” on Tuesday morning, placed an emergency report and set in motion an immediate response that resulted in the evacuation of two giant warehouses and a painstaking two-plus hour search before the buildings were declared safe.
According to Lt. Dan Davis of the Belton Police Department, the initial call was received at 10:49 a.m. Tuesday, when dispatchers were alerted to an active shooter situation on the exterior of the Saddle Creek warehouse, 6041 E. 160th St.
“These types of calls are taken seriously, as all available resources, to include Belton police officers, the Belton Fire Department/EMS, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office and the Missouri State Highway Patrol responded to the scene,” Davis said. “Law enforcement personnel arrived in less than two minutes.”
He said officers encountered some miscommunication on the scene, in addition to the activation of a door alarm and fire alarm at the Chewy Fulfillment Center next door to the north.
Approximately 30-50 officers conducted searches of both warehouses, and no evidence of a shooter was discovered at either location, he said.
Davis said the first responding officers encountered "some miscommunication" when they arrived on the scene at the Saddle Creek warehouse, in addition to dealing with the activation of door and fire alarms at the Chewy facility next door. "This was also at shift change with a large number of workers exiting" the Chewy facility, he said.
Further investigation revealed that a Saddle Creek employee overheard radio communications “from an unknown source,” prompting the emergency call.
He said there were no victims, suspects, weapons or evidence of anyone injured in the event.
“Management from Saddle Creek and Chewy are to be commended for the level of assistance given to responding officers by providing immediate access to information necessary to conduct these large-scale and thorough searches,” Davis said.