HILAND PARK — Hiland Park Elementary School was briefly locked down Tuesday while the Bay County Sheriff’s Office searched for the suspect from a stabbing at a gas station in the area.
Officers arrested Joe Clifford Bryan, 26, in connection with the stabbing while he was walking along a road that runs behind the elementary school. He was arrested after an officer and victim allegedly positively identified Bryan as the man who stabbed Christopher Page in the neck moments earlier, according to a BCSO news release.
Page was transported by EMS to a local hospital to undergo surgery, officers reported, but his condition was not known Tuesday afternoon.
Bryan, of Southport, was taken to the Bay County Jail for questioning.
A Florida Highway Patrol trooper was traveling northbound on U.S. 231 at about 9:45 a.m. when he saw two men struggling at the gas pumps in front of the Exxon, 2505 U.S. 231, near Selma Avenue. The trooper doubled back to spot the suspect running away and Page coming out of the store holding paper towels around his neck to help stop the bleeding from where he had been stabbed, BCSO reported.
As the trooper began first aid, BCSO arrived and disseminated a description of the suspect. Deputies saw a person matching that description walking west on Baldwin Road when they were en route to the initial call and a search began.
As deputies searched the area for the suspect, officers informed Hiland Park Elementary School administration of the situation and activated a lockdown. Multiple deputies were brought on campus to ensure the safety of the students and the staff, BCSO reported.
The lockdown was lifted after the suspect was found and arrested.
Charges against Bryan had not been released as of Tuesday afternoon.