A midday police chase in Apex turned tense on Thursday when a suspect bolted across the grounds of Lufkin Road Middle School, prompting a brief code yellow lockdown while students stayed put in their classrooms. School leaders said staff quickly secured rooms and kept everyone inside, and that no students or employees were directly confronted during the incident. Officers ultimately took the suspect into custody after deploying K‑9 and aerial resources to lock down the area.
How the chase unfolded
Officers first tried to pull over a vehicle on U.S. 1 between East Williams Street and Ten Ten Road around noon, according to CBS17. Police said the driver refused to stop and took off. The vehicle later became disabled, and a passenger got out. According to authorities, that passenger was not involved in the incident. The driver then ran onto the Lufkin Road Middle campus as officers set up a perimeter and brought in K‑9 teams and drones to track the suspect.
School response and safety
Lufkin Road Middle School principal Elizabeth Hanna said the campus went into a code yellow lockdown at about 12:25 p.m., with classes continuing inside while staff secured students, as reported by CBS17. School officials stressed that the suspect did not directly confront students or staff and that the school resumed normal operations once law enforcement cleared the area.
Police tactics and surrender
Apex police said officers used K‑9 Jordi along with drone technology to find the suspect, who surrendered near high‑power electrical lines by Ten Ten Road after seeing the K‑9. The department noted that tools such as K‑9s and drones help officers locate suspects more quickly and limit risk to the broader community. Police added that the passenger who got out of the vehicle during the pursuit was not viewed as a threat.
What parents should know
The code yellow lockdown was lifted just before 1 p.m., and the school moved ahead with its normal afternoon schedule. Apex police have not released the suspect's name or publicly outlined any charges, saying the investigation is still underway. Authorities are asking anyone who has video or information related to the pursuit to contact the Apex Police Department.
