HEMET: “Possible threat” forces temporary lock down at middle school

HEMET – A Hemet middle school was placed on temporary lock down this afternoon after City of Hemet police officers were notified regarding a “possible threat” at the school, according to District officials. The incident and lock down happened at Acacia Middle School Friday, May 12. The school is located at 1200 E. Acacia Avenue in Hemet.

Police officers were dispatched to the the school about 3:30 p.m., shortly after the majority of the school had been dismissed for the day.

Although most of the students had already been dismissed from school, students with the school’s SAFE After School program were affected by the short lock down. The lock down lasted about “10-15 minutes,” Hemet Unified School District Public Information Officer Alexandria Cass said in an e-mail response to questions about the lock down.

“(Students) went on a “modified lock down” while law enforcement investigated the possible threat,” Cass explained. She did not specify the nature of the threat.

During the short incident, Hemet police officials established a perimeter around the school and armed officers were seen searching the area for two subjects who were not identified.

Officers concluded their search and investigation about 3:50 p.m., at which time they “gave the all clear signal for the school to return to regular business hours,” said Cass.

Police officials have not yet commented about the incident, however information was expected to be released at a later time.

 

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Trevor Montgomery runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News and Anza Valley Outlook and also writes for Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg and breaking his back in an off-duty accident.

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations, including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center and Lake Elsinore Station, along with other locations.