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US: Arizona parents arrested for trying to break into school

Seerat Chabba
August 14, 2022

Three parents were arrested for attempting to force their way into an elementary school in El Mirage, Arizona, while it was under lockdown to protect from an armed man.

https://p.dw.com/p/4FVWp
Police car stands in Uvalde, Texas
The incident in Arizona was prompted by the botched police response in Uvalde, Texas, three months ago.Image: Eric Gay/AP/picture alliance

Police in El Mirage, Arizona, on Friday arrested three parents during a confrontation outside an elementary school that was locked down after an armed man was seen attempting to get on campus. Two of the parents were tased. 

The incident comes months after hundreds of law enforcement officers in Texas' city of Uvalde failed to act for over an hour as a gunman killed two teachers and 19 students. The police's lack of action triggered condemnation for the officers' actions from all across the country.

Around 10:30 a.m. local time (5:30 p.m UTC) school officials informed the El Mirage police that a man, possibly armed with a gun, was trying to get into a locked school building at Thompson Ranch Elementary School. He was unable to get in, being chased off by staff before police from El Mirage and two other agencies arrived at the school, authorities said in a statement.

Officers searching the school found a suspicious package and called a bomb squad, moving some children to another part of the campus.

Confrontation with parents

As parents began to arrive at the scene, confrontations between them and the officers ensued, with parents "forcefully pushing on the officers trying to get on to campus."

By this time, the police had already confirmed there was no longer a threat but the school was still on lockdown, which meant no one was allowed on campus. This upset the parents, authorities said, who wanted to be allowed into the school to find their children.

Police arrested a man who began pushing to get past officers, and a man and a woman who came to his aid were subdued with a stun gun and arrested. As the first man was being taken into custody, a gun fell to the ground.

The armed parent is set to face a weapons charge as guns are not allowed on school grounds, authorities said.

Police said they also located the man who had triggered the lockdown: "He is currently being evaluated by mental health professionals, and criminal charges are pending."

Edited by Jenipher Camino Gonzalez

Uvalde investigation slams police