Police operation near school has parents asking questions

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Published Apr 13, 2024 • Last updated 51 minutes ago • 2 minute read

Ottawa Police Service headquarters on Elgin Street in Ottawa. Photo by Tony Caldwell /Postmedia

Children who attend Lady Evelyn School in Ottawa are being offered extra support after the school was placed in secure school safety mode Friday while a suspect fled to the back of the school property, pursued by police.

In a note to families of students at the school, principal Kim Rae-Anne Esdaile said Ottawa police asked school officials to go into secure school mode around 1:30 p.m. on Friday “as a precaution.” Access to the school was restricted, hallways were cleared and students were kept in their classrooms for a short period of time. The restrictions were loosened shortly after and lifted 15 minutes later, she said.

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“I should note that during the police operations a suspect fled through the back of the school yard and was chased by police,” she said. Esdaile said no students were outside at the time, “but this brief incident may have been witnessed by some students.”

Esdaile said school officials spoke to some students after the incident was resolved “to reassure them that they were safe.” Two officers also offered to speak with students if they wanted to do so, she said.

In a second note to parents, Esdaile said she checked in with all students before dismissal Friday afternoon. She encouraged families to call the school on Monday “if you feel that your child would benefit from any additional support around this incident.”

The Ottawa Police Service did not release a statement about Friday’s incident and no one was available for comment on Saturday.

Louise Elliott, who lives near the school and whose son is a student at the alternative elementary school, said she was concerned about lack of communication by police.

“Why was the police presence so heavy and why did they not issue a statement? They should when it disrupts the community and a school,” Elliott said.

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“There needs to be communication when they are in our neighbourhoods, our kids are locked in school, and they are chasing people.”

Elliott said she was alarmed to see a police officer wearing a bullet-proof vest standing on Evelyn Avenue near the school when parents had no information about what was going on. She said other parents were also asking questions about the incident.

Police blocked off a section of Evelyn Avenue between Main Street and Rosemere Avenue in Old Ottawa East during the police operation.

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