KILLEEN - A felon with an outstanding warrant bolted from police after a traffic stop at 8 a.m. Tuesday and ran into the Central Texas Workforce Center at 300 Cheyenne where he has been holed up since refusing to come out.

Carroll Smith, spokeswoman for the Killeen Police Department said officers made a traffic stop on a car about 8 a.m. on the north side of U.S. 190 and Jasper Road.

When police found the driver had an outstanding warrant the man bolted and ran across the freeway to the south side and into the parking lot of the Workforce Center, she said.

"Reportedly he began accosting people in the parking lot for the keys to their cars so he could make an escape," she said. "When no one cooperated he ran inside the building with an officer close behind him."

She said Workforce personnel were evacuated to a fire station down the street and were picked up by a Killeen school district bus for transport to a local church.

Susan Kamas, executive director of Central Texas Workforce Commission, said all her employees are safe and sheltered at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 2nd and Mary Jane Street in Killeen.

Ms. Kamas said all staff was evacuated within five minutes.

"Police told me they have two working dogs and SWAT team members in the building," she said. "They say he is in the ceiling and not responding to negotiations. They say there is not reason to push the situation since everyone is out of the building safely."