Witness Describes Incident That Prompted Police Response At Intermediate School

The Nantucket Police Department and Fire Department responded to the Nantucket Intermediate School last Friday morning for a disturbance that involved a man riding a bike into the school just before students arrived for the day.

Several police cruisers and an ambulance were spotted at the entrance to the school, and principal Evemarie McNeil sent the following message to parents shortly after the incident occurred:

“This morning during arrival there was an incident with an adult riding a bike through our arrival process and into the school prior to children being in the school,” McNeil stated. “The NIS staff responded immediately as did the Nantucket Police Department. We moved all of our students safely into school and our teachers and school counselors continue to check in with how students are feeling emotionally. We are proceeding through our day with as much normalcy as possible as there is no concern for the safety of our staff or students. Please feel free to reach out to me or our counselors if your child lets you know that they will require more support.”

Nantucket Police Department lieutenant. Angus MacVicar did not return a message seeking comment about the incident. Nantucket Fire Department chief Michael Cranson said in an e-mail “I have nothing on this. I would check with NPD.”

Former Nantucket firefighter and business owner Mac Davis, however, was at the school dropping off his children and witnessed a portion of the incident. Here is the account Davis shared with the Current:

“I had just dropped my daughters off to school,” Davis stated. “I was about to pull out. I heard all the kids screaming and running and then telling me that the gentleman ran over a teacher with his electric bike. I got out of my vehicle, walked up to the gentleman, he was obviously not well. I asked him his name which he would not give me. I tried to calm him down and eventually told him that he’s not going to do this with my children and other children around and he needed to calm down. He was asking for his child, and I instructed him that he was not going to go nowhere near the school. He dropped his bag, put his hands up and told me that I could pat him down and check his pockets which I instructed him I would not do. I stayed with him and another faculty member until the police came. Once there were several police there, I walked away after they told me that they were all set. It’s unfortunate as obviously this gentleman was not doing well but at no time would I let any child be put in harm's way.”

Sources told the Current the man was taken away in the ambulance.