Moped rider triggers lockdown

HANAMAULU — A moped rider who eluded Kauai police triggered a lockdown at the King Kaumualii Elementary School Wednesday morning in Hanamaulu.

“The lockdown was due to an incident involving a person on a moped who was being pursued by Kauai Police Department officers entering the school grounds,” said Jason Yoshida, King Kaumualii principal. “That was about 7:40, or 7:45 when students were still coming to school. We recognized the situation and went into lockdown.”

Kauai County spokeswoman Sarah Blane said an officer attempted to stop an unknown male subject on a moped at the entrance of Hanamaulu Beach Park.

The man fled on his moped and officers pursued him. The male subject eventually accessed a driveway on the King Kaumualii School campus to get to Peter Rayno Park, where he then drove off.

Yoshida said the moped rider was weaving in and out of traffic on Hanamaulu Road while being chased by KPD officers.

“At the height of the lockdown, the school staff took the students, parents, and other people who were on the campus and directed them to a designated safe area,” the principal said. “This is all part of the drills we conduct.”

He said the disruption lasted about a half an hour, after which normal school routines resumed.

“He was on school grounds for maybe 15, or 20 minutes,” Yoshida said. “After he left the grounds, we were observing the conditions and in communication with the police department before opening up the school.”