A woman was arrested on Wednesday morning after an incident took place involving a knife at a New Westminster secondary school.
On Wednesday morning at around 8 am, police received a 911 call from staff at a secondary school on 6th Street in New Westminster.
The caller told New Westminster Police that a woman who wasn’t a student at the school was armed with a knife.
They added that students and staff feared for their safety.
Security at the school was able to isolate the armed woman, and when police arrived, they prioritized the safety of staff and students, who were instructed to leave the building before patrol officers began engaging in de-escalating techniques with the armed woman.
The aim was to have her safely taken into police custody.
“After some time, the Integrated Emergency Response Team arrived,” New Westminster Police said in a statement.
“The woman eventually cooperated with police instructions.”
She was safely arrested, and charges related to mischief and threats are “being considered.”
The New Westminster Police Department acknowledged the response from the school administration.
“Their cooperation played a key role in there being no injuries to students, the suspect, or police,” said Sergeant Andrew Leaver.
The incident caused a traffic interruption, as 6th Street between Royal Avenue and Agnes Street was closed for several hours.
Though the woman was safely arrested, police are still investigating by collecting CCTV footage and interviewing witnesses.
Anyone with more information can call 604-529-2525 or email [email protected].
Woman with knife arrested inside New Westminster school. https://t.co/gsJpKkYhIc #NewWest pic.twitter.com/XiaXPrUtLm
— New Westminster Police Department (@NewWestPD) May 1, 2024