A man approached a group of Allen Elementary School students walking through County Farm Park on Friday morning, made threatening statements and grabbed one child by the arm before the students got away and found an adult who called 911. Ann Arbor police say they searched the park and surrounding neighborhood but had not located the suspect as of Friday evening.
According to the City of Ann Arbor Police Department, the incident happened between 8:15 a.m. and 8:45 a.m. Friday as the students made their way through the park on their way to school. The department said the students left the area and reported what happened to a parent, who then called 911. Officers conducted a thorough search of the area but were unable to find the man, and detectives are now working with the students and their parents to gather more details about the incident and the individual involved. As reported by WXYZ-TV, the students were able to get away from the man and find an adult, who called 911.
Police say they have increased patrols in the neighborhood around the park and school. Per the station's report, officers also planned to attend an after-hours school event scheduled for Friday evening. The department is working with Ann Arbor Public Schools to support student safety and keep the community informed as the investigation continues.
Residents Asked to Check Home Security Footage
Investigators are asking residents near County Farm Park to review home surveillance video recorded around the time of the incident for any sign of suspicious activity that could help identify the man. The article notes that police have not located the suspect despite the search of the park and surrounding neighborhood. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Ann Arbor Police Department at 734-794-6920, email [email protected], or submit an anonymous tip through Silent Witness at aapd.a2gov.org/silentwitness.
Ann Arbor Public Schools praised the students for leaving the area and telling a trusted adult. The department encouraged parents and guardians to talk with their children about personal safety, including staying alert, moving away from situations that feel unsafe or uncomfortable, and promptly reporting concerns to a trusted adult. The investigation remains active and ongoing, and police said they will keep the community informed as more information becomes available.
How Ann Arbor Schools Approach Safety Broadly
The incident comes as Ann Arbor Public Schools has been emphasizing a layered approach to student safety. District leaders described school safety as, “a mesh of protocols, practices and trainings,” during a forum earlier this year, according to MLive. The district deploys ALICE active-shooter training, full-scale mass-casualty exercises and standard safety drills, and in June 2025 it conducted its third full-scale casualty-event drill since 2003 with more than 250 participants, MLive reported. Ann Arbor Public Schools also uses the Raptor technology system for visitor management, the outlet noted.
At that same forum, Ann Arbor Police Lt. Corey Mills said the department aims to support the school district without relying too heavily on law enforcement to handle individual student conduct issues, per MLive. The county’s coordination between police and schools has also come into play in other recent incidents. FOX 2 Detroit reported that Ann Arbor police responded to Haisley Elementary School after an 18-year-old allegedly threatened to harm people there with a firearm. Officers later searched the suspect's home but did not locate any firearms, and investigators confirmed the individual acted alone, according to the same report. Officials said at the time there was no ongoing threat to students or staff and that the school remained a safe place for learning, FOX 2 Detroit noted.
For now, the County Farm Park case remains unresolved, with police continuing to search for the man involved and asking the public for help identifying him.
