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Two parents tased, one arrested for trying to rescue their kids from school where armed intruder was reported

August 13, 2022 | | Print Article

Two parents were tased and another arrested by Arizona police on Friday as they attempted to enter a locked-down grade school after an armed intruder had reportedly tried to get inside.

Thompson Ranch Elementary in El Mirage, Ariz., was locked down after police were notified that a man with a tattooed forehead and possibly carrying a handgun was trying to gain access to the school. As he was being approached by school staff members, the man allegedly ran into a riverbed and disappeared, according to Fox 10.

Police were called to the scene at approximately 10:30 a.m. and began searching for the suspect as the school went into lockdown. Updated reports indicate that a suspect was subsequently arrested.


(Fox 10 Phoenix)

While officers did not immediately find the suspicious man, they did discover a suspicious package and destroyed it.

Meanwhile, concerned parents — no doubt with the horrific images of police officers in Uvalde, Texas, standing around as school children were slaughtered fresh in their minds — began gathering at the grade school.

One parent came armed and was promptly arrested for bringing a gun onto a school campus.

Two other frantic parents who were allegedly trying to force their way into the school to rescue their children were tased by the police, with one requiring a trip to the hospital.

Local ABC news reporter Elenee Dao detailed the chaotic events as they unfolded.

“Police say parents were getting agitated & protocol says no one should be on school grounds when the there’s a lockdown,” she tweeted.

 

Online, anxious Twitter users empathized with both the parents and the police officers — both of which were trying to protect the children inside the threatened school.

“I get that the police don’t want parents running frantically trying to find their kids….but guess what? Parents are willing to die for their children,” tweeted one user. “This is a real split road after uvalde [sic].”

“I understand the police can’t have parents in the way when they are trying to do their job but after Uvalde I can’t say I blame the parents either,” remarked another. “Tough one.”

But for a third, the matter was crystal clear.

“Listen, if I come to remove my kid from a dangerous situation, or protect my kid from such situation, and you prevent me. I will use whatever force needed to protect my child,” the user wrote. “Against anyone.. anyone. Badge or not. Stay out of my way when it comes to protecting my children #igy6.”

Ultimately, the suspect was captured, having never successfully gained access to the school.

In a statement, the Dysart Unified School District addressed the parents who allegedly confronted the officers and reminded the community that “anytime a lockdown is in place, nobody can enter or leave the campus.”

“This is done in partnership with law enforcement so they can clear each and every part of the campus to ensure the safety of all students and staff,” the statement read. “Additionally, schools are gun-free zones and it is a felony to possess a firearm on any school campus.”

Melissa Fine
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