UPDATED: School goes on lockdown after man confronts parent with holstered handgun… [Video]
Barnstable – At about 3:20pm, when kids were getting out of school, multiple Barnstable Police units converged on Trinity Christian Academy on Mary Dunn Road after a man reportedly “confronted” a parent with a handgun…
According to police radio transmissions, the man, approximately in his forties, showed a “parent” a holstered firearm and claimed to be involved with law enforcement… (Note: police radio transmissions initially said it was a “parent,” but Hyannis News has learned it could have also been a woman designated to pick up a child for a parent instead…)
He then left the area driving what was described as a dark gray older model Chevy…
The school was reportedly placed on “lockdown” according to radio transmissions… A police source on scene was reluctant to call it a full lockdown situation however, and said they were still looking into the possibility that what happened was a legitimate type of traffic stop after all… (In other words, it was more like a “partial lockdown.”)
Some children were still on campus and police still were not certain what they were dealing with…
Precautions remained in effect…
Barnstable police vehicles saturated the area and continued searching for the “suspect…”
The suspect in question was eventually spotted and pulled over by several marked and unmarked Barnstable police units on Independence Drive, where they learned he was, indeed, a plainclothes Massachusetts State Trooper driving an unmarked/undercover vehicle…
As it turns out, the trooper was conducting a legal traffic stop after the parent allegedly ran a stop sign. The parent had just pulled onto school grounds during the stop…
Overreaction or not, the school admin, who witnessed the encounter, contacted police with concerns…
Their concerns captured the attention of responding officers, as police do not take the words “gun” and “school” lightly when they’re used in the same sentence…
Here’s a Christian Trinity Academy message sent to parents and staff today:
Dear Parent’s and Staff,
Today at 3:10PM Trinity Christian Academy went into a lockdown due to a possible threat on our campus. An off duty State Trooper in plain clothing came on our school property to perform a traffic stop of a driver. The Officer failed to identify himself and was not in a police car or an unmarked car and was dressed in business like attire. He was wearing an exposed service revolver and his hand was on his weapon. Due to the nature of his tone of voice, body language and lack of identification Ms. Wiegand called for a Lock-Down – “NOT A DRILL” and Mrs. Colby called 911. All students and faculty and staff went directly into Lock-Down as practice and did an EXCELLENT job!! We held this status until the Barnstable Police Department arrived and cleared the grounds and facility. The State Trooper was located a few miles down the road and questioned about his actions. Sgt. Damery from the Barnstable PD complimented our school and students on a job well and stated that the actions taken were appropriate. Praise God we are all safe and the incident was swiftly cleared by the Barnstable Police Department and TCA Staff.
TCA Administration
The following video briefly highlights the scene… the video also shows police stopping the plainclothes state trooper… [Press play]
This is the second time this week that police needed to respond to a school after an officer's legally carried handgun caused alarm... Click here for the other incident at the Barnstable High School football field... (located near the bottom of the linked page)
Editor's note: This is the world we live in folks... guns on campus will cause alarm, unless the person carrying the gun can be clearly identified as a cop... and I know I'll probably catch some heat from my law enforcement friends for saying so... but when carrying on school grounds in plainclothes or off duty, it is wise to either call for a uniformed officer when openly displaying a firearm... or perhaps realize you need to do a much better job keeping your weapon concealed as not to cause alarm. (Most cops, I believe, already know this... but two similar calls in the same week? c'mon...)
In other news:
HEROIN EPIDEMIC: BPD Narcs bust two dope dealers... one even tries to make a run for it...
The following is the actual BPD press release:
On 4/9/14, BPD Narcotics Detectives were conducting surveillance in Hyannis pursuant to an ongoing heroin distribution investigation involving Josh McInnis (age 21 of Brewster). During the surveillance, Scott Jean (age 34 of Marstons Mills) was observed conducting a suspicious meeting with McInnis. Scott Jean is well known to the BPD Narcotics Unit from two past investigations which have resulted in Jean’s indictment (on both cases referenced below) in Barnstable Superior Court.
In the first case, on 8/22/12, Jean was stopped and arrested in Marstons Mills after being followed by Detectives off Cape to pick up oxycodone. Approximately 331 30mg oxycodone pills were seized from Jean.
In the second case, BPD Detectives arrested Jean on 11/9/14 and charged him with the following offenses: Failure to Stop for Police, Operating a Motor Vehicle so as to Endanger, Leaving the Scene of a MVA w/Property Damage, A&B DW (motor vehicle), 4 counts of Assault By Means of a Dangerous Weapon (motor vehicle), Possession of Class B/Oxycodone With Intent to Distribute and Trafficking Oxycodone (239 pills).
Jean is currently free on bail on both of these cases.
After observing the meeting, members of the Barnstable SCU attempted to conduct a motor vehicle stop of Jean and McInnis in a Rt 132 parking lot. After initially stopping, McInnis exited Jean’s vehicle. Jean then ignored orders to turn his truck off and drove away. After driving a short distance, another cruiser pulled in front of Jean causing him to stop. Detectives ultimately located 22 grams of heroin on Jean. Both McInnis and Jean were arrested for Conspiracy to Violate the Controlled Substance Act and Trafficking Heroin. Jean was additionally charged with Failure to Stop for a Police Officer.
4/10/2014
Robert Bastille,
P.S. – Tonight's HyTown Vignette is brought to you by a little Zappa... [Press play]
