RIVERSIDE (CNS) – A man allegedly walking around Riverside City
College armed with a knife prompted a campus lockdown today, with the suspect
hiding inside a storm drain and other places until police forcibly took him
into custody.
The man, whose name was not immediately released, was spotted by
students in the vicinity of the Cosmetology Building of the Magnolia Avenue
community college about 9:35 a.m., according to campus officials.
Riverside Community College District police officers were alerted and
swarmed the location, discovering that the suspect had run to the north end of
the campus, where he “entered a storm drain tunnel,” according to RCC
spokesman Robert Schmidt.
Along with RCCD officers, Riverside police officers and Riverside
County sheriff’s deputies converged on the campus, Schmidt said.
A “shelter-in-place” order was activated, and students and staff
were directed to remain in classrooms and offices while the standoff played
out.
“The man was confronted by police and refused to submit to arrest,”
Schmidt said. “He eventually barricaded himself behind buildings and police
further engaged with the suspect. Ultimately, he was Tased and taken into
custody.”
No law enforcement personnel, campus staff or students were injured.
The shelter-in-place order was lifted shortly after noon, and all
classes were back in session by 1:30 p.m. Copyright 2023, City News Service, Inc.
