CAMDEN COUNTY, Ga. — A morning traffic stop escalated into a manhunt on Thursday, forcing a local elementary school into a temporary lockdown and delaying the start of the school day for students during their first full week of classes.
The incident began early this morning when a Camden County sheriff’s deputy initiated a routine traffic stop. According to Kristen Kennedy, the Public Information Officer for Camden County, the situation quickly turned dangerous.
“That traffic stop turned into the driver resisting, and it became aggravated assault,” Kennedy said. “There were three passengers in that vehicle, and they fled.”
The sudden flight of the three suspects triggered an immediate, large-scale response. Deputies from the Camden County Sheriff’s Office joined forces with the St. Marys Police Department to establish a secure perimeter. Law enforcement deployed bloodhounds and drones to scour the surrounding neighborhoods for the three people.
As a precautionary measure, school officials placed Mary Lee Clark Elementary School on immediate lockdown, halting normal morning arrivals.
Parents in the area got alerts just as they were preparing for the school day.
“Ten minutes before getting ready to take him to school, we got all these notifications about some madness and cop cars in the neighborhood,” said local parent Dani Eveline.
Another parent, Priscilla Alvarez, said, “We got the notification of they’re suspects. They’re looking for people,” Alvarez said. She added that she tried to shield her young son from the severity of the situation. “I just let him know that school is starting late and we’re just waiting that they’re on lockdown. I didn’t give him too much details. He’s only first grade.”
Following an extensive search of the area, authorities lifted the lockdown around 10:30 a.m. School buses and parents began arriving shortly after to drop off students, determined to get the school day back on track.
Despite the chaotic morning, parents expressed relief as some of them walked their kids to school.
“He’s done staying at home all the time, all summer. He’s ready to get back to his friends,” Eveline said.
Alvarez echoed the sentiment, eager to put the morning’s disruption behind them. “The school just started. Let’s go to school, let’s play, let’s learn, let’s have art.”
Law enforcement has not released details on those who ran away or why the traffic stop was initiated. They say anyone who sees anything suspicious should call authorities.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
