Police stop disrupts school dismissal

By PRESS STAFF

The school bell rang at 3:30 p.m. Thursday at Skyway Elementary and two minutes later, Coeur d’Alene Police made a traffic stop in the parking lot of the nearby Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Officers soon discovered a person in the vehicle was wanted on suspicion of domestic battery, robbery, witness intimidation and stalking.

School officials were alerted to the situation, but since the dismissal process had begun and children were already outside the building, lockdown procedures could not be initiated as police took the suspect into custody.

Principal Janice Beauchamp said the police presence prompted the administration to ramp up its usual controlled release of students by adding additional staff members to assist with the dismissal. Adults were with the children as they passed by the scene in the church parking lot, Beauchamp said.

The school sent a message Thursday to families advising them of what had occurred.

“Police officers secured the SW corner of the church as quickly as possible and assisted students and parents through the area,” the message said. “Students were released without additional incident. The situation has now been resolved.”