Police Lethally Shoot Man Who Held Teacher Hostage At Riverside Elementary School
RIVERSIDE (CBSLA) — Nearly 7 hours into a standoff with police, a teacher who was held hostage by a student's father has been released after police entered the elementary school and lethally shot the man.
The parent, who has not yet been named, was taken to a local hospital where he died, CBS2 News has confirmed.
Relatives of the suspects told CBS2 the man's daughter is a first-grader at the school.
Around 11 a.m., police responded to a barricade situation at Castle View Elementary School in Riverside involving a parent who assaulted a school office staff member and forced his way into the classroom where he holding first-grade teacher Linda Montgomery, authorities said.
Montgomery suffered no injuries but was taken to the hospital as a precaution.
Officers armed with weapons entered the classrooms and loaded them onto buses. The school was evacuated to nearby Castle View Park, where parents could breathe a sight of relief after tense moments of not knowing if their own children were in danger.
The Riverside Unified School District notified parents of the incident via telephone.
"Just getting the phone call is a very scary feeling," a tearful mother told CBS2. "I just wanted to know and make sure my daughter was OK."
Witnesses say the man became agitated after he refused to sign in at the school administrative office. He punched a male staff member who was taken to the hospital.
Liz Reyes, the parent of Castle View student, witnessed the altercation, telling CBS2 News a woman came into the office warning people the man was coming.
Shortly before 6 p.m., police used flash-bang grenades and forced their way into the classroom, and shooting the suspect in the process.
It's unknown if the man was armed.
The school will be closed for the remainder of the week.
This is a breaking news report. More information will be provided as it becomes available.