A lockdown at Courtney Elementary School on Thursday afternoon just as parents were lining up to pick up their children caused grave concern among parents and fear among the children.

“Men swarmed around and arrested this guy in his car,” said one parent who was concerned about providing her identity. “We were terrified they would start shooting.”

“All of a sudden there were blue lights and a real short siren and then they were everywhere. The man was parked right in front of me and it scared me to death, said Ann Groce, a grandmother was at the school picking up her grandchildren. “I kept thinking, what if he’d come out of his car shooting, because the parking lot was full of people there to pick up children. I guess the good Lord was watching over all of us. It went down real calm and he didn’t fight or anything.”

Chuckie Wood, 48, of Hamptonville with a long history of criminal convictions purchased drugs from an undercover officer and was followed to the school according to law enforcement. Officers heading the operation were concerned about attempting to arrest Wood after he picked up his children. “He has a history of running from us,” said Captain C.P. Shuskey, Narcotics Division of the Davie County Sheriff’s Office. “We were concerned for the safety of his children if we took him after they were in the car.”

A decision was made to place the school in lockdown so that everyone would be safe until Wood could be removed from the area.

The target of a drug task force involving US ATF Officers, US Customs and Immigration, the Davie County Sheriff’s Office and the Yadkin County Sheriff’s office, Wood is facing fifteen counts of trafficking cocaine, just in Davie County. He is also facing federal charges. He could have been charged in Yadkin County as well, but due to the federal charges, he was not, according to Shuskey. The federal charges include possession with intent to sell and distribute over 500 grams of cocaine.

“We’re very sorry about parents’ concerns or inconvenience due to this situation,” Shuskey said. “We made the decision to take Wood at the school prior to his children getting in the car.”

According to school officials, they were contacted by the Yadkin County Sheriff’s Office and told someone who was present on the grounds would be arrested. School officials placed the school in lockdown for the safety of the students and staff. The entire episode took only about fifteen minutes.

Wood was under a 1.5 million dollar bond in the Davie County Jail.