Three schools in Gray’s Maine School Administrative District (MSAD) 15 went on a ‘lock out’ status for nearly an hour on Tuesday at the request of law enforcement, who were searching for four suspects that fled from the Maine State Police.
[RELATED: Lockdown at Southern Maine Community College Lifted After Armed Man Taken Into Custody…]
MSAD 15 announced the lock-out on Facebook at 11:39 a.m., explaining that it was implemented out of an abundance of caution at the request of local law enforcement as they resolved a situation in the area.
The district did not explain what the situation was, and the status comparable to lockdown which prevented access to the facilities was lifted shortly thereafter at around 12:34 p.m., after the situation had been resolved.
After the schools resumed normal operations, the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Department issued a press release providing more details on the situation that led to the lock-out.
Deputies responded to the area of Colley Hill Road in Gray to assist in the apprehension of four suspects who had been in a vehicle that allegedly fled from the Maine State Police.
Shortly after receiving the call for assistance, deputies who were already in the area apprehended and detained three of the suspects, but the fourth remained at large.
The Cumberland Sheriff’s Department deployed a K-9 unit, which successfully located the last suspect.
When confronted by law enforcement, the suspect allegedly claimed that he was armed with a handgun and fled, concealing himself in a swamp.
Additional officers arrived to secure the area, and, following an extended negotiation, law enforcement took the suspect into custody.
The department did not release the names of any of the suspects or details about the incident that caused them to flee from the Maine State Police.
According to the department, the investigation remains ongoing, but no further information will be released at this time.
