FRPD: A foot chase involves an Officer injury and school lockdown

Front Royal Police Department (FRPD) report a foot chase with injuries and the lockdown of E. Wilson Morrison School.

Officers engaged in a foot pursuit after the attempted arrest of a subject on Commerce Avenue at approximately 12:45 Mar.1.

The suspect jumped the wooden fence behind the Valley Health Multispecialty Clinic and made his way toward Chester Street.

Officers converged on the area setting up a perimeter.

They found the suspect had barricaded himself in a shed on the north side of the Love Revival Ministry Center on Chester Street.

The suspect had armed himself with a large knife and was causing injuries to himself.

A Crisis Negotiator arrived to try to find a resolution to the situation.

After approximately 20 minutes the suspect surrendered and was given immediate medical attention  by responding Emergency Medical Service personnel from Warren County Fire and Rescue.

The suspect was airlifted to Winchester Medical Center (WMC) with multiple stab wounds to the abdomen.

An officer who chased the suspect and jumped the wooden fence as well was taken by ambulance to WMC for injuries sustained to his right leg after landing.

During the incident E. Wilson Morrison Elementary School was put on lockdown for almost an hour as a precautionary measure.

The suspect has been identified as 32-year-old Joseph Heath with no additional information given at the time of this writing.

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