Court documents: Father used son as a ‘shield and a hostage’ during standoff near Remsen, IA

GREENE COUNTY, Iowa (KTIV) - More information is coming out about an hours-long standoff in northwest Iowa that started with an AMBER Alert.

Online court documents show 34-year-old Brandon Duong of Jefferson, Iowa is charged with second-degree kidnapping while armed with a dangerous weapon. He is accused of kidnapping his 7-year-old son Bryson Duong and using him as a hostage during a standoff near Remsen, Iowa.

According to court documents, Brandon Duong took Bryson from Greene County Elementary School in Jefferson, Iowa. Authorities say this happened around 12:45 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 30.

When an officer got to the school, they viewed security footage that showed Brandon taking Bryson during recess. Authorities say this video showed Bryson running toward Brandon and his Black Toyota Tacoma, after which they left the area. Court documents show authorities later found out Brandon had left his cell phone behind to avoid being tracked.

Authorities say in December 2023 a court order was issued restricting Brandon from having custody of Bryson.

An AMBER Alert was issued for Bryson and by 4:40 p.m. Tuesday, an officer with the Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office spotted Brandon’s Tacoma south of Correctionville and Cushing. Officers attempted a traffic stop and a pursuit began, entering Cherokee and then Plymouth County before officers lost track of the vehicle.

The Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office says at about 4:50 p.m. officers found Brandon’s vehicle again in the area northeast of Remsen, where another high-speed pursuit began. This pursuit ended in a crash near Sunset Avenue and 160th Street, which is between Remsen and Marcus.

During the pursuit, the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office says they learned Duong was possibly armed with a rifle.

Authorities say after crashing the vehicle, Brandon left the vehicle on foot, carrying Bryson and a rifle. Multiple agencies responded to the area and the field Brandon had walked into was surrounded by law enforcement.

During the almost three-hour standoff that followed, Brandon allegedly had Bryson over his shoulder while law enforcement officers had their guns drawn.

“This shows he was using Bryson as a shield and a hostage,” stated a Jefferson Police Officer in court documents.

The Iowa Department of Public Safety says negotiators were able to convince Brandon to surrender. Authorities were also able to recover Bryson safely.

Brandon was taken to the Greene County Jail and charged. Bryson was taken into the custody of the Department of Human Services.