A local high school went into a brief "hold and secure" yesterday morning because of a trespasser uttering threats on the property.
Sault Police are not identifying the school but confirmed the incident in a news release issued this morning.
Officers were dispatched to the school at around 8 a.m. Thursday.
The suspect had left the building by that point but police say he was “quickly located nearby.”
“Although the accused resisted officers, they were arrested,” the news release says.
Michel Koussaye, 34, is charged with:
- Uttering Threats x2
- Resist Peace Officer
- Failure to Comply with Probation Order
The accused is being held in custody pending a bail hearing.
None of the allegations have been tested in court and Koussaye is considered innocent unless proven guilty.
In their news release, Sault Police described the incident as a "lockdown." But a spokeswoman for the Algoma District School Board reached out to SooToday to clarify that the incident was a "brief hold and secure," not a lockdown.
During a hold and secure, a school's outdoor doors are typically locked but classes resume as normal inside.
A lockdown is a much more extreme response to an imminent threat. Students are kept in classrooms or designated waiting areas, lights are turned off and curtains or blinds are closed.