The Sunrise School District building, 4485 Sunrise School Road, in rural De Soto is on lockdown today (Oct. 27) while Jefferson County and St. Francois County deputies search for a man in a wooded area near the Big Woods subdivision, officials report.
Sunrise has a bus stop at that subdivision, Superintendent Armand Spurgin said.
He said the school went on “a light lockdown” around 10:15 a.m., after deputies drove by the school pursuing the man, Spurgeon said.
During the light lockdown, students were not allowed outside the school, but that lockdown was upgraded to a “moderate” one when school officials learned the man who was being pursued had abandoned the pickup he was driving and fled on foot in the area, Spurgin said.
He said during a moderate lockdown students are kept in classrooms and if they have to go to the restroom or cafeteria or somewhere else, they’re escorted by teachers or other staff.
Spurgin said the lockdown will be held until the end of the school day, at about 3:15 p.m., and at that time, students will either ride the bus home or be released to parents or other guardians.
No students will be allowed to walk home today, Spurgin said.
“We’re taking a few extra precautions,” he said.
Spurgin said after school officials “saw eight to 10 police vehicles come by the school,” he called the Sheriff’s Office to see what was happening and learned they were pursuing a man who had fled from St. Francois County and entered Jefferson County.
Spurgin said he talked to the Sheriff’s Office again later and was told the man had abandoned his pickup and deputies were searching for him in the Big Woods area.
He said the Sheriff’s Office also told him that authorities don’t believe the suspect is armed.
Capt. Ron Arnhart of the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said he didn’t have information about what prompted the pursuit in St. Francois County.
“We only became involved after the individual abandoned the vehicle in the Big Woods subdivision,” Arnhart said. “When the pursuit did come into Jefferson County and the individual exited the vehicle, we assisted with the search of a wooded area where he was last seen south of De Soto near the Big Woods subdivision.”
St. Francois County Sheriff’s Department officials could not be reached for comment this afternoon.