Monroeville Schools Locked Down After Threat Against Officer
MONREOVILLE (KDKA) - It began as threat against a police officer and then it escalated into an emergency situation forcing a lockdown at some Monroeville schools.
The incident began when a 911 call center received harassing and threatening calls this morning.
The calls started out as harassing calls and then turned into threats. Eventually, police traced the calls to a Days Inn in the 2700-block of Mosside Boulevard and arrested Daniel Hendrie, 61, of Philadelphia.
Because police were not sure what they would find and since the time of day was such that older kids were in school and younger kids were on their way to school, police called for the lockdown of the Gateway Campus.
However, it was a lockdown which didn't last long.
"The county 911 system started receiving harassing phone calls from an individual this morning about 5 a.m. and they continued. They were able to triangulate that cell phone call and determine that the call came from an area of Monroeville – Northern Pike near our Putt Putt. We would check that area, we were unable to locate anybody. As the calls continued, the calls became threatening. This man threatened to kill a police officer. At that point, because of the proximity to the high school – Gateway High School - the middle school and the elementary school, we just decided to lock down all of the schools. Further investigation by one of our officers found that a person staying at the Days Inn motel, which is right near the Putt Putt, had been making harassing phone calls from the room to the desk clerk," Monroeville Police Sgt. Rob McConnell said.
According to police, that the same man harassing the desk clerk was the man who was making the harassing calls to the 911 center.
At his arraignment, Hendrie swore at District Judge Jeffrey Herbst, when he learned that bond was set at $250,000 straight, rather than a percentage.
He has also been ordered to be evaluated by the behavior clinic.
In the criminal complaint it is alleged he told a 911 operator, "I'm going to have a shootout with police," and "I'm going to shoot officer 'Hill.'"
It was not clear just who he was referring to.
As officers approached his room, he came out completely naked. Once officers identified his cell phone as the one from which threatening calls were made, Hendrie replied, "There is a group of six people that got the same number as me," according to the criminal complaint.
As he was arrested, Hendrie told an officer, "I knew I should have killed you, I guess I waited too long..." and uttered expletives at the officer.
Hendrie told police he was in town to see Pa. Gov. Tom Corbett.
His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Oct. 1.
Hendrie is facing a list of charges including, terroristic threats and causing or risking a catastrophe.
The schools have all since reopened.
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