Mesquite police shooting near Poteet High School delays classes

MESQUITE, Texas - The start of school was delayed at Poteet High School in Mesquite on Monday because of an officer-involved shooting near the campus.

Sgt. Curtis Phillip with the Mesquite Police Department said it all started after police got a call just before 4 a.m. on Monday about someone with a knife at the Whataburger restaurant on Galloway Avenue.

"The caller was an employee who stated there was a suspect with a knife threatening employees at the location," Sgt. Phillip said.

The man left the restaurant before officers arrived, but he later called and said he was near Poteet High School.

Sgt. Phillip said the officers found the suspect in the 3300 block of Poteet Drive.

"He did have a long gun. Shots were exchanged between the suspect and our officers. Two officers fired. Neither officer was struck. The suspect was not struck either," he said.

The suspect fled to a home in the 700 block of Southwynd Street and barricaded himself inside. He was arrested just after 8 a.m.

"He was safely taken into custody out of that residence," Sgt. Phillip said. "You will still see an active scene [near Poteet High School] because we’re still working the officer-involved shooting scene. But I can tell you at this point there are no injuries to the suspect or our officers."

Mesquite police said one of the officers who fired shots has been with the department for three years. The other is in field training.

Both will be part of a criminal and internal affairs investigation, which is standard after officer-involved shootings.

The shooting did not involve Poteet High School in any way. But because of the police activity, classes were delayed until 10 a.m.

Mesquite ISD said it would continue to communicate with parents about the delay.