MOUNTAIN PARK, Ga. — (UPDATE: Police said Thursday morning the suspect in this story was now in custody. 11Alive has removed his name and mugshot in accordance with station policy. You can read more about the policy here.)
A police search for an alleged bank robbery suspect has prompted a heavy law enforcement presence and a soft lockdown at a nearby elementary school in Roswell.
The search is happening in neighborhoods just off Old Mountain Park Road and the City of Mountain Park. Roswell Police posted a public safety alert in a Facebook post.
Police have identified the man as a 27-year-old. Law enforcement described him as a man with blonde shaggy hair. They added that he is wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans.
Mountain Park Elementary School has also entered a soft lockdown until further notice.
The school's principal issued the following statement below:
"We were alerted that police activity was occurring in the vicinity in the form of a high-speed chase. Out of an abundance of caution, we are moving into a Soft Lockdown until the activity has ended.
Officer Ray has been in contact with Roswell PD and will be on scene until the activity has ended.
In a soft lockdown, the identified threat is outside of our school building. We continue teaching and learning as normal inside the school. We do not go outside for recess and we limit movement in the hallways. Teachers are on alert in case we need to move to a hard lockdown. We only move to hard lockdown if the identified threat is inside of our building. At this time, there is no identified threat inside our school building. Students may be checked out, but we will stagger entry into the building to ensure we can safely move into a hard lockdown if needed.
Authorities added they pursued the suspect on Tuesday, who they believed was involved in a bank robbery on Monday at the Truist Bank on 8390 Holcomb Bridge Road around 3:30 p.m. Police then said he ran from his vehicle in the area.
Police are asking residents in the area to call 911 if they see the alleged suspect.
This is a developing story. Check back often for new information.
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