Arrest of kidnapping suspect prompts school lockdown

Oct 05,2007 00:00 by Cheryl McDermott

Declining to provide details into allegations of kidnapping, coercion and related charges, deputies reported Wednesday that a Bend elementary school was placed into lockdown for a short time while law enforcement personnel used "higher-risk tactics" to arrest the suspect during a traffic stop near the school.

Robert James Laird - DCJ photo

Deschutes County Sheriff’s Lt. Kevin Dizney and Sgt. Mike Espinoza said that deputies assisted by Bend Police officers arrested Robert James Laird, 30, during a traffic stop near the intersection of Cooley Road and NE 18th Street on October 3. A three-month long investigation culminated in his arrest where “higher risk tactics” were used for officer and community safety.

“Laird’s arrest and proximity to the school were unrelated to the school or any of its students,” the deputies wrote in a news release.