Report of man with rifle in bushes prompts Prineville school lockout, arrest; no injuries

(Update: Correcting that school was in lockout, not lockdown)

Charged with disorderly conduct; pellet rifle found in bushes, .22-caliber rifle in nearby pickup

PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) – A report of a man with a hunting rifle walking around in bushes behind Prineville businesses Friday morning led to a lockout at a nearby elementary school and government office, a road closure and a Prineville man’s arrest on a disorderly conduct charge. An air-powered pellet rifle was found in the bushes and a .22-caliber rifle in a nearby pickup, police said.

Prineville police, Crook County sheriff’s deputies and Oregon State Police responded around 10:30 a.m. to the reported man with a rifle in the area of Northeast Laughlin Road, between Ochoco Plaza Drive and Combs Flat Road, Sgt. James Peterson said.

The unimproved areas are located beside the Ray’s Food Place shopping complex, the Crook County School District office and the state Department of Human Services offices, as well as homes and nearby Barnes Elementary School, Peterson said.

Arriving officers spotted the man crouched down in the bushes on a hillside covered with grass, brush and trees just north of Laughlin Road, above the nearby businesses, the sergeant said.

About four minutes later, the man came out of the bushes and surrendered to officers without further incident. Peterson said the 40-year-old man was taken to the county jail and lodged on a disorderly conduct charge.

Crook County School District spokesman Jason Carr said a lockout is when a school locks the doors and no one can enter or leave, but is a lesser alert than a lockdown, when all occupants shelter in place and interior doors are locked.

"We even questioned doing anything, because it was a safe distance away and we knew he was surrounded, but decided as a precaution to do that," Carr said.

The nearby DHS office also placed in lockdown during the incident, while Laughlin Road was blocked to through traffic for about 90 minutes, police reported.

A drone was used to safely check the area for weapons or any other involved people, but Peterson said no one else was involved and no one was hurt.

An air-powered pellet rifle was found in the bushes near where the man was taken into custody. Peterson said the air rifle closely resembled a hunting rifle and had a hunting scope attached.

In addition, a .22-caliber rifle and several rounds of ammunition were found in a pickup truck associated with the man that was parked at the incident location on Laughlin Road, Peterson said. Officers also found a small amount of an illegal drug and drug paraphernalia in the truck. The pickup was towed from the scene.