STAMFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — A North Carolina man faces a criminal trespass charge after police say he tried to enter an elementary school in Stamford Friday.
Around 1 p.m., police said school administrators from Davenport Elementary School noticed a suspicious man on the school’s campus and immediately initiated a lockdown, prompting a response from the Stamford Police Department Patrol Division.
Police said units arrived within three minutes and detained a man who they identified as Jamar Mikel Edwards.
According to police, school administrators said they saw the man exit a CTtransit bus and start walking toward the school. CTtransit uses the school driveway as a turnaround.
Police said Edwards appeared disoriented and attempted to open the front door but was prevented from doing so because they were locked. Edwards allegedly spoke to the office staff, said he had keys to drop off and that he was looking for a job.
He was not let in and did not gain access to the school at any point, police said.
Police said Edwards is from North Carolina and has a pending case with Connecticut State Police from an arrest on I-95 on Wednesday. Police said he was taken to the hospital for a mental health evaluation “due to his confused mental state.”
According to police, Edwards was arrested and charged with criminal trespass in the first degree.
“The reasoning for being on the school grounds is ongoing,” police said.
“In light of the recent tragedies in Texas and in Buffalo, we want to highlight this incident. 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. Today, 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.”
Captain Diedrich Hohn, Stamford Police Department