Santa Rosa did ‘exactly what we want them to do’: police

A man spotted with a gun Santa Rosa Elementary School was the cause of a campus lockdown yesterday.

Someone saw a concealed handgun on the man, later identified as an off-duty police officer, who was picking up his son.

“There was no incident related to this other than someone seeing the weapon in his waist band and calling us,” said Pinal County Sheriff’s Deputy Lt. Scott Elliot, “which was exactly what we want them to do.”

Units responded to Santa Rosa Elementary to discover that the subject had already left.

Moments later, the subject was located at Jane Askew Memorial Park near the entrance to Rancho El Dorado where he was identified as an off-duty Phoenix Police officer.

“As he got out of his vehicle his shirt raised enough to expose view of the weapon,” said Elliot. “Someone noticed it and called us.”

“Obviously, no charges were filed due to the law providing for law enforcement officers to carry their weapons with them even when off-duty.”

School officials said they locked down the school as a precautionary measure.