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In a June 19 television interview, Suffolk Police Chief James Buie said he did not see the June 14 incident at Kilby Shores Elementary School, in which 42-year-old Vontrail Thorpe ran into the school while students were returning from recess, as a breach of security.

Buie took a moment to clarify that statement.

“I thought about this after the interview and I said it, and I can certainly see where people would believe that I misspoke and I believe I probably could have chose my words better of what is a ‘breach of security,’” he said. “I’ve been doing police work for 27 years and when asked the question, in my experience, is that a breach of security is the school has done something negligent and they done something they were not supposed to do to allow this person to make entry into that school. And from what I could see during the time, the school was not negligent.”

Buie continued, calling Thorpe an opportunist.

“This gentleman was an opportunist. He got himself into the school property, he saw an opportunity to come in that door and he took it. And for me, the school wasn’t negligent in what they did. As a matter of fact, what I saw was that the teachers responded immediately,” he said. “They put themselves in harm’s way to try to get into that bathroom to help their students and to get their students out of there, and they continued to do that until the police officer was there two minutes after the fact… Within six minutes, this gentleman was in custody of finding his way on the property. So, did I misspeak in using the term? Yes. But was the school negligent in what they did and their reactions afterwards? No. The police response was fantastic and those teachers’ responses were fantastic.”

Thorpe, 42, has been charged with two counts of abduction, trespassing, disorderly conduct, possession of schedule I/II substance on school property and breaking and entering and is currently in Western Tidewater Regional Jail, where he awaits his next court appearance.