The Chillicothe Police Department arrested a Georgia man on September 11 after receiving complaints of suspicious behavior near Chillicothe Middle School. According to Police Chief Jon Maples, the 52-year-old man was seen swinging knives and scissors near the property, which raised concerns.
Chief Maples noted that the situation escalated when officers learned about a disturbance involving a mental health worker on the same property. This heightened concerns for the safety of students and staff in the vicinity of the middle school.
Officers, including the school resource officer, responded promptly. They located the man at a residence in the 1400 block of Polk Street. Upon arrival, the suspect barricaded himself inside a garage for a short period, but officers successfully surrounded the area with patrol vehicles to secure the scene. Despite initial concerns that the man may have been armed with a gun, officers were able to convince him to exit the garage peacefully, and he was taken into custody without further incident.
Maples confirmed that no gun was found on the premises, though officers did recover scissors and an ax. While the incident did not take place on school grounds, it occurred on private property adjacent to the middle school. School staff had previously reported concerns over the suspect possibly carrying a firearm, contributing to the swift police response.
The police department is continuing its investigation, working alongside the school resource officer to determine if criminal charges will be filed. The department emphasizes its commitment to student safety, noting that its officers acted quickly to ensure that the school could resume its normal activities.
In a separate matter on the same day, the Chillicothe Police Department assisted with an investigation requested by a jurisdiction in New York. New York law enforcement had been tracking school threats made through veterans’ suicide hotlines. These threats were relayed via 911 dispatchers after being sent through a third-party hotline. The New York jurisdiction reached out to Chillicothe authorities after a suspect’s name and address seemed to be linked to the Chillicothe area.
Upon further investigation, officers discovered that the IP address associated with the threats had likely been hacked, and it appeared to be an attempted swatting incident. Maples reported that this was the second swatting attempt at the same address in Chillicothe. The resident was notified, and the individual was in contact with their internet provider to address the security issue. This incident, too, did not occur in Chillicothe.
