Man with Umbrella Detained in Search for Seekonk Gunman
The man did not match the description of the reported gunman.
The Seekonk Police Department released information on Monday about the report from Sunday of a gunman on Highland Avenue. The following press release was edited by Seekonk Patch:
On Sunday at about 3:50 p.m., the Seekonk Police Department received a call reporting a man was seen carrying a rifle in the area of Stop & Shop on Highland Avenue. The man was reportedly seen walking westerly through the parking lot of the store. Since the call came in near the change of shift, two shifts of Seekonk officers, along with Massachusetts State Police and East Providence, R.I. officers responded to the area.
A cursory search of the area was conducted. An armed man was not located, but a man carrying an umbrella was momentarily detained on Highland Avenue. The umbrella was long and dark colored, but the man's description did not match that of the reported armed subject.
Subsequent to the area search, and as a precaution, seven stores were evacuated and searched by police officers. The searches lasted 5 to 10 minutes per store. Two additional stores were searched but not evacuated. Nobody fitting the description of the armed subject was found. Stores resumed normal business activity after the searches.
We respectfully request that the public be asked to contact the Seekonk Police Department with any pertinent information. Business line: 508-336-8123. Tip line: 508-336-7027 ext. 9 or email Tips@seekonkpd.com
In This article
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Town of Seekonk Police Department
500 Taunton Ave, Seekonk, MA -
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Stop & Shop
125 Highland Ave, Seekonk, MA
paul
7:14 am on Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Evacuating stores and making people stand outside in an open parking lot (and not telling them what's going on) after someone thought they saw a man with a rifle in the lot is crazy. We have become a paranoid society, where even the cops panic.
Amy
9:25 am on Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Paul, I understand how you feel but imagine if it was another loon and someone was hurt? The first to be blamed would have been the police.
paul
9:32 am on Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Amy, I'm glad it was just a guy with a semi automatic umbrella but I don't get why police would evacuate stores and send people outside making them easy targets. The report was, someone saw a guy in the parking lot with a rifle. Why make folks leave the safety of a store and put them in harms way?
Rowanoak
11:55 pm on Thursday, December 20, 2012
Guys we can speculate all we want, there are no rules to this. If there was or wasn't a psycho with a gun in the parking lot, or in the store, he is the bad guy, he is the one putting people in harms way. The police don't want a repeat of Connecticut anymore than anyone else. They are just trying to do there jobs, and protect the people. Some one as obviously unstable as those in question is completely unpredictable. Locked down in the store could have been just as dangerous. The police made a call. I bet whenever they have to do that they pray to there maker its the right one. How would we hold up with such a decision at our feet? Oh and yeah we are paranoid, just last week we were reminded no one is ever safe!