ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. – UPDATE
Police have arrested the man they were searching for near Northside High.
44-year-old Vinton resident Samuel Clay Mitchell had several felony charges out of Roanoke City. He was caught around 8:30 a.m. between Waffle House and the high school. Police found a gun in the car.
Mitchell is no stranger to the law. He has a list of charges in Roanoke City that go back to 2011. Most recently, he has been charged with possessing cocaine, entering property to damage, destroying property, and not showing up in court.
New charges stemming from Mitchell fleeing have not yet been announced.
ORIGINAL STORY
Roanoke County police are searching for a wanted man near Northside High School.
There is a large police presence off of Peters Creek Road between Thirlane Road and Northside High School Road. State police and a SWAT team are also responding.
Police are telling people who live on Northside High School Road to stay inside their homes. Officers are working to block off that road, according to a dispatch supervisor.
Kingdom Kids Child Care and the Children's Discovery Center have decided to close.
Police were responding to an unrelated incident in the area around 3:15 a.m. That's when they noticed a "suspicious" driver who was parked behind the Quality Inn on Thirlane Road. He then drove off when they tried to pull him over, according to a police spokesperson. He took off into a wooded area and is believed to be on foot.
When police ran his plates, they discovered there was a warrant out for the driver's arrest. He has five felony charges in a neighboring district. Police didn't say what those charges were and did not give media his name.
The suspect is described only as a white man in his 40s, wearing a red shirt and dark pants.
The school is empty.
Check back for updates.