(Maryville, TN WOKI) – Foothills Mall in Maryville has reopened after being placed on lockdown after a police chase ended at BJ’s Wholesale Club.

Maryville Police were told about a stolen car with two teens, ages 16 and 17, from a Kentucky military academy inside yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon around 3:30 p.m.

MPD says officers later found the car on US Highway 411 South and tried to pull it over, but were led on a chase that ended in the BJ’s parking lot at the Mall.

MPD had information that the teens may be armed, leading to additional officers from MPD and other agencies to respond to the mall.

The teens were quickly found in one of the store’s fitting rooms and taken into custody.

The incident prompted a lockdown at the mall, which was lifted shortly after 5 p.m.

The Harlan City Police Department in Kentucky say the teens ran away from a military school in Harlan County and stole the car from a nearby car dealership.

Foothills Mall Officials released the following statement:

This afternoon (Wednesday), Foothills Mall was placed on lockdown due to a police investigation involving two teenagers. We are incredibly grateful to the mall security team, the Maryville Police Department, the Blount County Sheriff’s Office, and all other responding agencies for their swift actions to ensure the safety of our tenants, customers, and the public. We would also like to thank our tenants for quickly securing their stores to protect both their employees and customers.

During the lockdown, officers and security personnel conducted a thorough sweep of the mall, and the lockdown was later lifted. The safety of everyone at Foothills Mall is our top priority. We deeply value our partnership with local law enforcement, and our security team regularly participates in training to ensure a fast and effective response to any situation.

In emergencies, Foothills Mall will refer to the Maryville Police Department for the latest updates and limit our comments during active investigations to allow law enforcement to carry out their work.

With the threat from this afternoon behind us, we want to reassure the community that Foothills Mall is safe, and we remain committed to maintaining a secure and welcoming environment in partnership with both mall security and local police.Foothills Mall