Standoff ensues in neighborhood bordering school

Around 2:00 p.m. on May 15th students noticed a commotion across the street from the school’s northern soccer fields. Several cop cars were stationed lining the road the track opens onto.

Assistant Principal Robert Farrell shed what light he could on the situation.

“Basically there’s somebody over there that has holed up in their house and [authorities] think it might be a possible suicide,” Farrell said. “Officer Landmesser was called over there and he informed me that they are setting up a command post to evaluate the situation.”

The school was not on lock-down or warned to take any precautions; in fact, there was a gym class out on the fields during the time of the incident.

“There’s nothing for [students] to worry about,” Farrell assured.

According to Florida Today, the man barricading himself in his Sharon Drive home was wanted for battery on a person older than 65. Police and SWAT team members, including Officer Landmesser, swarmed the neighborhood, and after a standoff that lasted from 11 a.m. till 3:15 p.m., the suspect surrendered to police, unarmed, and there was a safe resolution.

The scene was cleared by the time students were released at 3:30 p.m.