By Stephen Day, Elaina Kleven and Hayden Kulick
Riverside City College sent out an alert to the students ordering all students to shelter in place due to an incident near Wheelock Stadium at 9:36 a.m. April 18.
Witnesses reported that a man was seen with a knife at around 8 a.m.
“Students were reporting to us that someone was walking on campus with a knife,” Riverside Community College District Chief of Police Cristopher Cano said. “They were sending us photos in which the person caught on camera was walking around with a knife extended out.”
The suspect attempted to run away once authorities arrived.
“(The police) kept driving around the area and then they eventually located him,” Cano said. “Then a full pursuit started. He utilized the washway and then he got into the tunnel.”
The man then attempted to hide from the police in the tunnel.
“Officers were there with him the entire time,” Cano said. “Because he was armed, they had to take a step back.”
The suspect fled into the tunnel at the end of the drainage line. Due to the darkness in the tunnel police were unwilling to engage the suspect.
Police then sent a robotic device and several officers carrying riot shields into the tunnel. Cano stated that they used negotiation tactics, as well as a mental health worker, and even Riverside Police Departments robotic tools in their effort to get the suspect to comply.
“He was able to get away from our officers at which point he ran through the tunnels and was able to get through the streets and went through a manhole cover and got out,” Cano said. “Luckily officers were chasing after him as well as units leaving here to go after him and they located him behind a liquor store. He still refused to give up. They deployed a taser and then he was safely taken into custody.”
The suspect was transferred to a hospital to ensure his injuries were “very minimal,” Cano said.
After almost three hours, the order was lifted at 12:22 p.m. All activities and classes had been cleared to resume at 1:30 p.m.
No students or officers were injured during the incident.
RCCD is in the process of arranging crisis counseling for anyone affected, according to RCC Interim President FeRita Carter.
This story is developing.
