BY SARAH STEPHENS
ELMORE/AUTAUGA NEWS
Top Photo: This is a driver license photo of Ethan M. Jones, 20, of Millbrook.
The Millbrook Police Department has arrested Ethan M. Jones, 20, of Millbrook for four counts of Harassing Communications. He was arrested Tuesday, processed and released on bond.
According to Millbrook Police Chief P.K. Johnson, his officers received several complaints Tuesday concerning threats made over social media.
The students notified school administrators that they had each received threats from a former student, who had addressed each victim using racial slurs and threatened physical harm to each, stating that he would shoot them. Even though the students reporting these threats were not on the school’s campus at the time the alleged threats were made, school officials made the decision to place the school campus on a soft-lockdown and immediately notified law enforcement.
Johnson said the Millbrook Police Department’s School Resource Officer made contact with each of the victims and documented each criminal offense, as reported by each victim. Those reports were forwarded to the Millbrook Municipal Court, who upon review of each case, issued a total of four warrants for the alleged offender’s arrest for (4) counts of Harassing Communications.
“I am extremely proud of our School Resource Officer and officers assigned to work security at our City schools, the administrative staff at Stanhope Elmore, and the Elmore County Board of Education for the manner in which they communicated with each other and took quick and decisive actions in addressing these complaints,” Chief Johnson said. “Our intent was to investigate these reports, while ensuring that we had an adequate law enforcement presence in and around the school, to locate the individual that allegedly made those threats, and to affect the alleged offender’s arrest as soon as we could secure arrest warrants. That occurred about as quickly and efficiently as it possibly could.
“I want to make one thing perfectly clear, it has been a tough week for the students, administrators, faculty and staff at Stanhope Elmore, as they have experienced the loss of a fellow student, classmate and friend. So, this, on top of everything else, made an already difficult situation worse. That said, no matter what the circumstances, we take the safety and security of our young people in this community very serious, particularly when they are in a school setting. I’m glad that we were able to resolve this matter quickly and hope that this will serve as an example that we take these matters seriously and that we will work with our schools to take the steps necessary to identify, arrest and prosecute anyone who presents a danger to our young people or attempts to disrupt a safe learning environment for the students in our school system. We won’t tolerate this type of behavior in our community.”
SEHS Principal Ewell Fuller echoed Johnson’s comments, thanking everyone for working together and that he was glad a suspect was located.
Around 9 p.m. Monday he received information that threats were being made to students.
“This was not a threat of anyone coming on campus, but directly to multiple students of Stanhope Elmore High,” Principal Fuller told the EAN. “So, we made sure our school resource officer was notified. On Tuesday, when the bell ran for first period, I put our students on a soft lockdown. I notified the parents, that there was no immediate threat, but it was something I needed to look into.”
Fuller said authorities made sure that the threat to students did not involve the campus at that time.
“There are only three entrances to the school and they are monitored by employees. The only way for students to get in is to show their cell phone pouch. I was very certain this person was not on campus.”
Fuller said that Board employee Officer Rick Lowery, SRO Kristin White and Lt. Liles from the Millbrook Police Department began questioning students and taking statements.
“They shared screenshots of the messages sent to them. We secured multiple addresses from where he was sending those threats from. Law enforcement acted very quickly.”
“At Stanhope Elmore High School…as long as I am principal here and Richard Dennis is Superintendent, when you make these type of threats and disrupt the school day like this person did, you will be pursued to the fullest extent that the law allows. No questions asked. It doesn’t matter who you are, or who you are kin to, you will be dealt with. Once I found out that this person was in custody, we came off the soft lockdown. I sent a message to parents we were off lockdown and we continued with the normal day.”
Fuller said he truly appreciates Board employee Officer Rick Lowery, Millbrook PD, teachers and staff that made sure the students were safe.
