Police Chase Puts Ulster County Elementary School On Lockdown

School officials had to place a Hudson Valley school on lockdown after a suspect parked his car at the school.

On Tuesday, the Ulster County Sheriff's Office confirmed a multi-agency response resulted in the arrest of a 21-year-old man from the Town of Woodstock after an elementary school was placed on lockdown.

On Tuesday around 10:45 a.m., members from the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office, Town of Shandaken Police, Town of Olive Police, New York State Police and the New York City Department of Environmental Police responded to the Phoenicia Elementary School for the report of suspicious activity.

Phoenicia Elementary School Placed on Lockdown in Ulster County, New York

Police were told a man drove onto school property, parked in the school parking lot and exited his vehicle. It was reported to authorities that the man ran towards a wooded area in the back of the school.

As a precaution, this prompted an immediate lockdown of the school as police began to search for the man in the woods behind the elementary school.

An investigation revealed the man was involved in a verbal altercation on Main Street Phoenicia earlier Tuesday morning, police say.

The man fled at a high rate of speed towards the school after he learned the police were called, according to the Ulster County Sheriff's Office. Police add he nearly hit one person with his car while fleeing.

Police believe he was trying to hide his vehicle from police by parking in the school parking lot.

Suspect Found On Main Street

The unnamed 21-year-old man from the Town of Woodstock was found a short time after by the Town of Shandaken Police on Main Street in Phoenicia.

The man was charged with reckless endangerment, a misdemeanor.

The lockdown was lifted after police confirmed there was no threat or connection between the man and the school.

He was released with an appearance ticket returnable to the Town of Shandaken Justice Court on a future date and time.

While no place in the Hudson Valley made the list, the region has received a ton of praise recently.