Jared Dale Knight, 24, surrendered peacefully to police shortly before 5 p.m . Wednesday after barricading himself in his on-campus home for three hours and causing the campus to be locked down, Billy Liggett , assistant director for publications at Campbell, said.
“It ended peacefully,” Liggett said. “The student was arrested after three hours of negotiations and surrendered peacefully to the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office.”
The university’s main campus was put on lockdown from 1:50 p.m . to 5:10 p.m . because of the standoff, Liggett said in the press release. The affected area included Fine Arts, the School of Business and Strickland and Hedgepath Halls.
WRAL reports that Knight slipped out of handcuffs and into his bedroom when Harnett County deputies tried to serve him arrest papers for allegedly stealing guns from his Fuquay employer, Sovereign Guns. According to Knight’s Facebook page, he is a sophomore in youth ministry at Campbell.
According to the United States Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals, Knight, a former airman and veteran of the Iraq war, was dishonorably discharged from the Air Force in 2008 for taking $10,600 of military property for personal use he found in an off-base dumpster and for impersonating a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department officer.
Wednesday’s incident resulted after Knight was arrested Tuesday in Fuquay-Varina , according to Susan Weis, public information officer for the Fuquay-Varina Police Department.
“He was arrested … around 9 p.m . for larceny by an employee and he was taken to the Wake County Jail,” Weis said.
WRAL is reporting that Knight was released after posting a $3,000 bond, though Weis could only confirm that Knight was at Campbell today.
Harnett County Sheriff’s Department sent members of their SWAT team to the house.
Liggett said the lockdown was issued only as a precaution and that students were not believed to be in any danger.
Evening classes have been canceled in Buies Creek. The situation only affected main campus and not Campbell Law School in Raleigh.
Stay with Technician for updates.
