Thursday morning at approximately 10:20 a.m. a parent notified the School Resource Officer at Meadow Glen Middle School that she had seen a suspicious male dressed in black with a mask covering his face walking on Ginny Lane.

The School Resource Officer notified officers who responded to the area to look for the suspicious person.An officer traveling on Northside Drive near Ginny Lane observed the male subject walking and contacted him in the roadway. The officer asked him to remove the black mask from his face and he did so. The officer then recognized the subject as Michael Alan Williamson who was an escaped SCDC felon and wanted for the stabbing of a Columbia Police Department officer the night prior.

Michael Williamson then fled into the wood line with the officer chasing on foot. Michael Williamson ran from the woods into the parking lot of Northside Christian Academy on Sunset Blvd. where he tried to get into an empty school bus. When he could not get into the school bus he then ran to an unlocked vehicle nearby, got inside, where he stayed for a short time. As the officer approached, Michael Williamson then fled from the vehicle towards the entrance of Northside Christian Academy.

Due to the all exterior doors being locked at the Northside Christian Academy, Michael Williamson could not gain access to the school and officers were able to take him into custody without further incident. Chief Terrence Green says, “I am pleased that our officers were able to arrest this dangerous felon and bring to a close the extensive search that had been going on since last night.

For our citizens, this also highlights the importance that when you see someone or something that just doesn’t look right, please call the police. Like in today’s arrest, it can make all the difference.”