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Just after 1 p.m. on Friday, May 27, school administrators in Stamford from Davenport Elementary School on Newfield Avenue noticed a suspicious man on the school campus, and immediately initiated a lockdown, according to Captain Diedrich Hohn, Commander of Special Investigations for the Stamford PD.
Stamford Police Units arrived within three minutes, and detained the man identified as Jamar Mikel Edwards, age 31.
School administrators relayed that they observed the man exit a CT Transit bus, and start walking towards the school, Hohn said. CT Transit uses the school driveway as a turn around.
Edwards, who appeared disoriented, then attempted to open the front door, but was prevented because they were locked., said Hohn.
He rang the buzzer, and spoke to the office staff, saying he had keys to drop off, and that he was looking for a job, Hohn added.
"At no point was he let in or gained access," Hohn said. "A decision to lockdown was initiated and this started the police response."
Edwards is from Charlotte North Carolina, and has a pending case with the Connecticut State Police from an arrest on I-95 on Wednesday, May 25, Hohn said.
"Due to his confused mental state he was taken to Stamford Hospital for a mental health evaluation," said Hohn.
He was additionally arrested and charged with first-degree criminal trespass for his activity on the school grounds, said Hohn, who noted that the reasoning for being on the school grounds is ongoing.
"In light of the recent tragedies in Texas and in Buffalo, we want to highlight this incident," Hohn said. "The administrator and school staff of Davenport School did everything right to keep the staff and students safe from harm.
"We can never take safety for granted. We want to highlight how, if you see something, say something, and how important it is to follow the schools safety and infrastructure security procedures, to ensure everyone’s safety."
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