Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

By Lisa Vernon-Sparks
Journal staff writer

COVENTRY-- The police in Coventry searched this morning for a man believed to be dressed in fatigues, armed and possibly dangerous.

The Coventry police received a call at 4:40 a.m. from a man who said he was at a local salvage yard on New London Pike and that he had a rifle. The man said he was looking to speak to a friend. He did not say why.

The Coventry police immediately shut down the New London Turnpike and vicinity from Arnold Road to the West Warwick border. Police officers from East Greenwich and West Warwick also turned out to help.

The West Warwick and Coventry Regional SWAT team and the Coventry K-9 searched for the man but did not find him.

The person to whom the armed man wanted to speak has been located and is safe, the police said

News of the search disrupted school schedules and prompted school officials in Coventry and Exeter-West Greenwich to issue a modified shut down to keep students from going to outdoors for recess or gym as a precaution, said West Greenwich Police Chief Ronald Lepre.

"Even though we are different towns, we are relatively close," said Lepre.

The shut-down order has since been lifted at Exeter-West Greenwich schools, Lepre said.

Supt. Thomas Geismar had requested all the doors to all the school locked. Administrators had posted people at the entrances of the junior and senior high schools to allow parents access for normal business.

"He's armed and camouflaged and they are not sure where he went," Geismar said. "I wanted make sure all the doors are locked and the kids are safe."

Coventry Supt. Kenneth R. DiPietro heard about the search early this morning when school buses were blocked from picking up children on New London Turnpike.

"When our busses couldn't pick up the children, they notified the four schools to the affect that students may be late, brought by parents or out today," DiPietro said. "I spoke to the police. It wasn't a crisis for the school. We did a regular security check. We had an indoor recess. Until they gave us clearance we held indoor recess. Every school is in the middle of state testing. Alan Shawn Feinstein Middle School postponed state testing by one day."

Anyone with information is asked to call Coventry police at 826-1100.

-- With reports from projo.com staff writer Michael McKinney

 Tags  Coventry West Warwick

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