Police Training Device Prompts Shelter-In-Place At Northridge Middle School

TUSCALOOSA, AL — A training device left behind after a law enforcement exercise prompted a brief shelter-in-place at Northridge Middle School on Friday and officials say there was never any danger to students or staff.

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The Tuscaloosa Police Department said Friday afternoon that members of its Hazardous Device Unit conducted a joint training exercise at the school over Spring Break alongside the department’s K9 Division and the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office Hazardous Device Unit.

During that training, TPD says a backpack containing an inert device was inadvertently left behind.

The situation unfolded when a student discovered the backpack and immediately turned it over to the school’s on-site school resource officer.

School administrators quickly implemented a shelter-in-place protocol while officers responded to assess the item.

Authorities quickly determined the device was part of the earlier training exercise and posed no threat.

Tuscaloosa City Schools officials said the campus entered “a state of heightened awareness” during the incident but emphasized the situation was resolved quickly.

“Following a prompt investigation, it was determined that the item was a training device that had been left behind by the Tuscaloosa Police Department after previously using the facility for safety drills and was not a weapon of any kind,” TCS said in a message to families. “There was no threat to students or staff.”

Acting Police Chief Severn “Sebo” Sanders acknowledged the concern the situation caused and said steps are being taken to prevent a similar incident in the future.

“We recognize the situation caused concern to students and families,” Sanders said. “Steps are being taken to ensure this is not repeated.”

The school day resumed as normal following the investigation.

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