At roughly 10 a.m. Wednesday morning, Sapulpa Schools were placed on lockdown while police arrested a suspect on outstanding warrants in close vicinity to the school, according to a statement from the school, and according to officers at the scene.
Officer Mike Sole with Sapulpa Police said they had been looking for 28-year-old Dustin Newlin in connection with an outstanding arrest warrant for second-degree rape charges in Creek County.
“We were told he might be at a couple of addresses, including the one on East Lincoln,” where he was found inside a vehicle in the driveway.
During the search for Newlin, officers got word that he might be armed, and though he was eventually found to be unarmed, “we decided to err on the side of caution and alert the schools,” Sole said.
According to Sole, Newlin would not surrender and would not comply with the officer’s demands to exit the vehicle, locking himself in. Sapulpa police deployed less-than-lethal “super-sock” bean bag projectiles to break the windows, and then deployed pepper balls into the vehicle in order to apprehend Newlin. He was subsequently arrested without further incident and is currently in jail on a $40,000 bond.
Police also said that one of the officers had an allergic reaction to the pepper ball dust, necessitating a visit to the local hospital, where they were treated and released.
The full statement sent out by Sapulpa Public Schools is below.
Dear Parents,
This message is to let you know that a secure lockdown has been lifted at Sapulpa High School, Sapulpa Junior High School, Sapulpa Middle School and Holmes Park Elementary.
The schools were placed under secure lockdown at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, April 5.
Law enforcement arrested a person just after 10:15 on Lincoln Avenue across from Woodlawn Annex and the lockdown is lifted.
All students are safe.
Secure lockdown means all doors are locked and no one may enter or leave the building.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Sapulpa Public Schools
