BSO: Elam at Southwest student apprehended after foot chase
A student at Elam Alexander Academy at Southwest High School was apprehended Tuesday following a foot pursuit.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – A student at Elam Alexander Academy at Southwest High School was apprehended Tuesday following a foot pursuit.
According to a Bibb County Sheriff’s Office Facebook post, campus police officers made contact with the student after metal detectors went off as he entered the building. The student, who the sheriff’s office says was “believed to be concealing a firearm,” fled from officers as they attempted to search his backpack.
He was apprehended in the woods on Eisenhower Parkway near Pio Nono Avenue.
“Deputies suspect the gun may have been discarded during his flight through the woods,” the sheriff’s office post read. “The student was turned over to Campus Police.”
Bibb School District Chief Communications Officer Stephanie Hartley tells 41NBC the following message was sent to parents:
“Good afternoon parents. This is to clarify information that is being shared on Facebook by the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office. BSO posted to social media about a student at Southwest being apprehended and possibly having a weapon. While we appreciate BSO’s support searching for a student who fled Elam at Southwest, please know the student was located quickly and was not found to be in possession of a weapon. Not only is transparency important to us, but our district takes safety and security very seriously. We will continue with our metal detection and random search protocols as part of our many security measures. If you have any concerns about this incident, please do not hesitate to reach out to the school. Thank you.”
Hartley says Elam at Southwest has its own entrance and bus drop off area at Southwest and that Elam is a separate entity from Southwest except for being on the same campus.
She also clarified that there are two Elam sites in Bibb County—one at Burke Elementary School on Second Street and one at Southwest High School.
