CLEVELAND — A Thursday afternoon SWAT standoff in Cleveland's North Broadway neighborhood led to a school being placed on lockdown for more than four hours.
Police confirmed the local Animal Protective League attempted to execute a search warrant at a house on the 3000 block of Nursery Avenue when the home's occupant decided to barricade himself inside while armed with a gun. As a precaution, the nearby Broadway Academy at Willow was locked down around 1 p.m. before an "all clear" was given moments later, only for a second lockdown order to come down at roughly 2:30 p.m.
By 6:45 p.m., authorities said the situation was "secured" and denied reports the man was walking outside the school and threatening others. No one was injured, and officers were able to help with the dismissal of Broadway Academy students and staff.
"The physical safety and emotional health of students and staff is the highest priority of Broadway Academy at Willow," the school said in a statement to 3News, adding that "all students and staff were safely released from campus."
All classes and after-school activities at Broadway Academy have been canceled for Friday "to provide the community more time to tend to the social-emotional needs of students and staff." The Cleveland APL also plans to follow up with the homeowner at a later date.