Man With Bulletproof Vest, Knife at Hudson Valley School Arrested
A frightening encounter at a Hudson Valley middle school ended after police arrested a man who appeared at the school wearing a bulletproof vest and carrying a knife and ammunition.
UPDATE: POLICE IDENTIFY MAN FOUND AT HYDE PARK SCHOOL [click]
According to the district, students were returning to the building after their seventh-period lunch when a man wearing green camouflage clothing and riding a bicycle approached the back parking lot.
The Hyde Park Central School District alerted families Monday evening about the incident at Haviland Middle School. In a letter to parents, Superintendent Dr. Pedro Roman credited staff members with acting quickly and said students and staff remained safe.
Lunch monitors noticed the man passing through the backfield area and approached him. The district says that's when he fled. Faculty alerted the school resource officer, who requested backup from the Town of Hyde Park Police Department.
Officers arrested the man off campus. According to Roman’s letter, he was wearing a bulletproof vest, carrying a knife at his waist and had two rifle magazines. One of the magazines contained ammunition. No firearm was found.
The district said the man was later taken to a hospital for a psychiatric evaluation. The letter did not identify him, list any charges or explain why he was on school grounds.
Roman thanked the staff members who spotted the suspicious activity and alerted authorities, along with the school resource officer and Hyde Park police for their response.
For parents, the details are unsettling, especially because students were returning from lunch when the encounter happened. The district emphasized that students and staff remained safe and reminded everyone "that if you see something, say something."
