A man allegedly walking around Riverside City College armed with a knife prompted a campus lockdown Tuesday, with the suspect hiding inside a storm drain and other places until police forcibly took him into custody.
The man, whose name was not immediately released, was spotted by students in the vicinity of the Cosmetology Building of the Magnolia Avenue community college about 9:35 a.m., according to campus officials.
Riverside Community College District police officers were alerted and swarmed the location, discovering that the suspect had run to the north end of the campus, where he “entered a storm drain tunnel,” according to RCC spokesman Robert Schmidt.
Along with RCCD officers, Riverside police officers and Riverside County sheriff’s deputies converged on the campus, Schmidt said.
A “shelter-in-place” order was activated, and students and staff were directed to remain in classrooms and offices while the standoff played out.
“The man was confronted by police and refused to submit to arrest,” Schmidt said. “He eventually barricaded himself behind buildings and police further engaged with the suspect. Ultimately, he was Tased and taken into custody.”
No law enforcement personnel, campus staff or students were injured.
The shelter-in-place order was lifted shortly after noon, and all classes were back in session by 1:30 p.m.