Attempted kidnapping case closed

This+is+a+crime+of+intimidation+...+this+is+the+crime+of+scaring+people+when+theyre+at+their+most+vulnerable%2C%E2%80%9D+said+Dan+LeBeau%2C+Whitman+County+chief+deputy+prosecutor.

OLIVER MCKENNA | THE DAILY EVERGREEN

“This is a crime of intimidation … this is the crime of scaring people when they’re at their most vulnerable,” said Dan LeBeau, Whitman County chief deputy prosecutor.

DAISY ZAVALA, Evergreen managing editor

After an investigation, the Pullman Police Department concluded there was not an attempted abduction at Lincoln Middle School in Pullman.

The investigation came from a report made to the school by a concerned parent on April 16.

Pullman Police Cmdr. Chris Tennant said no arrests or charges were made.

“After interviewing everybody and looking into the situation, it certainly was embellished,” he said.

Joseph Thornton, director of operations for Pullman Public Schools, said the email sent out on Tuesday night was based on the knowledge they had at the moment. It was meant to share to community members and let them know the police department was involved.

The email was signed by Pullman Public Schools Superintendent Bob Maxwell. It said a parent of a Lincoln Middle School student reported that a man approached the student and told her that her mother had asked him to pick her up. The student did not know the man.

“Any concerns or alerts that we receive from the community, we’re gonna take very seriously,” Thornton said.

They received an alert from a concerned parent and immediately informed the police, Thornton said.

Thornton said families and students should share their concerns with the school district.

“Sometimes it may not be an imminent threat, but it doesn’t matter, we’re gonna look into it as promptly as we can,” Thornton said.

Tennant said it is a good opportunity for parents to talk to their children about what to do in that situation.