U.S. Troops Capture Rebel Panama Official : Central America: A standoff at national police headquarters is the first serious challenge to the U.S.-backed government.

A former senior police official who escaped from prison and then seized national police headquarters was captured today by U.S. troops after he fled the building.

The former police official, Col. Eduardo Herrera Hassan, walked out of the building ringed by a group of police officers loyal to him and an estimated 80 journalists who were trying to ask him questions. The cluster crossed a roadblock manned by U.S. troops, and Herrera, who was wearing civilian clothes, got away in the confusion.

Herrera escaped in a car but was captured a short time later at a condominium building near the police headquarters.

Several shots were fired, and one of his supporters was wounded. About 50 armed men with Herrera also gave up after trying to flee.

Herrera escaped Tuesday afternoon from prison on the Pacific island of Nao aboard a private helicopter and took over the police headquarters near the Panama Canal early today.

U.S. troops and Panamanian police then took up positions 300 yards away from the building.

Before fleeing, Herrera met with U.S. and Panamanian officials, but it was not immediately known what they discussed.

The U.S. Embassy had issued a statement that said: “In answer to a request from the government of Panama, the United States has provided military support to the National Police to help in the protection of the area around the National Police headquarters.”

The standoff was the first challenge to the nearly year-old government of President Guillermo Endara. Herrera said he was not trying to topple the government but to gain respect for the police.

The National Police was created after U.S. forces invaded last December and toppled Gen. Manuel A. Noriega, who is jailed in Miami awaiting trial on drug-trafficking and money-laundering charges.

Herrera, a former Noriega associate, was fired as deputy national police chief in August and jailed in October on charges of conspiring against the new government.

Before fleeing the headquarters, Herrera claimed control of Panama’s police force, but it was not known how much support he had among police officers.