Police officer shoots man at parking lot of Palm Beach County high school
RIVIERA BEACH (CBS12) — A police officer shot a man twice in a high school parking Monday morning after the unauthorized man tried to get onto the campus and became combative with the officer.
No students or staff were injured in the incident at Suncoast Community High School, the School District of Palm Beach County reported.
The man who was shot is in stable condition at a local hospital; the officer was treated and released, according to a statement issued by the Riveria Beach Police Department.
According to the school district, the man walked into the parking lot before school started and was confrontational by an officer who asked him why he was there. The man made physical contact with the officer, who fired, striking him twice, the Police Department said.
Neither the officer nor the individual’s names were released. Criminal charges are expected to be filed against the man.
In response to the shooting, code red security measures were temporarily activated, and the school was locked down. Students were redirected away from the school and multiple nearby roads were closed. A student who already made it inside by the time of the incident said she was eating breakfast when the code red announcement was issued.
“(S)he said it pretty urgently,” senior Isel Neira recounted. “So that really scared me, and I just went into my teacher’s office, and I helped people get, and then I just locked the door and waited to see what would happen.”
About 8:30 a.m., Principal Kathryn Koerner told families the school was still under their code yellow protocols that allowed classes to continue, but limited movement in the school. The district assured families that there was no active threat and gave parents the option to pick up their children.
The Police Department did not disclose what may have led to the shooting. Video shared by students on social media show officers surrounding a man on the ground.
Nearby school campuses, including Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Elementary, Lincoln Elementary, Washington Elementary, and John F. Kennedy Middle School, were also placed under limited movement procedures during the incident.
The investigation was transferred to the school district’s police department because the incident was in its jurisdiction, according to Serena Spates, spokesperson for the Riviera Beach Police Department.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has taken over the investigation into the officer-involved shooting. It declined to provide any other information, saying it is an open investigation.
Counselors and a therapy dog were on campus Monday for students and similar services will be available at school on Tuesday.
According to the school’s principal all on-campus after-school activities, including games, have been canceled, and softball and volleyball away games will be played as scheduled.
This article was published originally by WPEC-CBS12, a news partner of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.