JEFFERSON, Iowa — Court documents are revealing more about the actions of a man arrested for allegedly abducting his 7-year-old son on Tuesday afternoon.
34-year-old Brandon Duong is charged with Kidnapping in the Second Degree — Armed with a Dangerous Weapon after an Amber Alert was issued for his son, 7-year-old Bryson Duong, and hours-long negotiations with law enforcement came to a close.
A criminal complaint against Brandon has more details on what allegedly happened that day.
Brandon is accused of taking Bryson from Greene Elementary School in Jefferson around 12:45 p.m. on Tuesday, despite a December 2023 court order restricting him from having custody.
Surveillance video from the school showed that Brandon picked Bryson up during recess. Police believe Brandon left his phone behind to avoid being tracked down by police with Bryson.
Law enforcement was able to locate Brandon's truck just before 5 p.m. northeast of Remsen following a high-speed chase. Brandon attempted to evade officers and eventually crashed his truck.
From there, Brandon left the vehicle on foot, carrying Bryson and a rifle.
In the criminal complaint against Brandon, police alleged that Brandon had Bryson over his shoulder while officers had guns drawn.
"This shows he was using Bryson as a shield and a hostage," the complaint claims.
Law enforcement negotiated with Brandon for about two hours before taking him into custody. Bryson is now under the care of the Department of Human Services.
"The Jefferson Police Department and Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation will continue their investigation to further understand the circumstances that necessitated the issuance of the Amber Alert," Iowa State Patrol said in a press release.