MEDFORD — Educators and police officers get an A+ from School Superintendent Roy Belson for their fast response Tuesday to a report of a man armed with knives outside Columbus Elementary School.
“We believe that this situation was handled extremely well and that our planning and training was a plus. We appreciate the excellent response by the police and the assistance of the mayor and her staff,” Belson said.
The incident started in late morning Tuesday when Medford police got a call from frightened Hicks Avenue residents reporting “a man with knives in both hands walking up and down the street and threatening people” in the South Medford neighborhood.
With the man spotted less than a football field away from Columbus, a kindergarten through fifth grade school, public safety, city and school employees immediately shifted into emergency response mode.
Belson ordered the school locked down shortly after 11:30 a.m. “consistent with Medford Public Schools protocols.” School administrators sent a robocall to parents notifying them their children were safe, but that the suspect was not yet in custody.
The man walked to the Columbus School where he was immediately surrounded by Medford police and State Police. Officers engaged him in discussion for about 45 minutes before he was disarmed, taken into custody and taken to a hospital for observation.
“Mayor Stephanie Burke, Assistant Superintendent Diane Caldwell, and I were on hand at the scene along with Medford Police Chief Leo Sacco, Jr. All of us worked together to get the proper communications out to the Columbus School community,” Belson said in a statement. “I want to commend Columbus Principal Kathy Kay and her staff for the excellent job in implementing their planned lockdown and control protocols.”
Belson said he and the police did not believe the suspect intended to harm anyone at the school. “It is believed that the individual did not intend to attack the school, but merely ended up there fleeing from police pursuit. We believe that he intended to harm himself,” he said.
Belson said several parents came to Columbus while the incident unfolded and, he said, “elected to take their child home. Most were comfortable that all was well,” he said.
School administrators met with students at 2 p.m. to reassure them that they were safe and congratulate them on following instructions during the school lockdown.
