Members of the Charlotte Police Department Violent Criminal Apprehension Team (VCAT), Rowan County Sheriff's Office and FBI serve a warrant in China Grove on Wednesday. Still image taken from video submitted by Bianca Muñoz Norman.

By Chandler Inions and Elisabeth Strillacci

CHINA GROVE — Families attending China Grove Middle School’s graduation ceremony on Wednesday were met with a shocking sight during what was supposed to be their child’s big day.

Local, state and federal authorities served a warrant for five counts of sexual exploitation of a minor to a suspect in a nearby residence. According to the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office, authorities took the suspect, 23-year-old Tyler Wake Presnell into custody without incident but the manner in which they conducted the arrest troubled some observers and frustrated local police who were not notified ahead of time.

One observer of the scene, Bianca Muñoz Norman, said at first they thought that someone was being pulled over “until everything started unraveling fast” including the arrival of “loads of unmarked vehicles and law enforcement in full gear.”

“It was insane to watch the school graduation release on one side and a potentially dangerous situation on the other side (of the road),” Muñoz Norman said. “I was dumbfounded.”

What took China Grove Police Chief Andrew Deal back is the manner in which the warrant service was coordinated.

“It could have been done differently,” Deal said in a phone call on Thursday.

Without advance notice, China Grove Police found out about it as it was unfolding.

According to Rowan County Chief Deputy Jason Owens, the Sheriff’s Office was called to assist in serving the warrant. The Charlotte Police Department’s Violent Criminal Apprehension Team (VCAT) and members of the FBI called on RCSO for assistance when they determined the suspect was in a house in China Grove.

Presnell has a registered address in Charlotte but discovery of his China Grove location prompted the warrant service.

At the time of the service, China Grove Middle School’s graduation ceremony was going on. Owens indicated that the department did not know that beforehand. Deal believes that the discrepancy could have been avoided if communication was handled better between departments and that the apparent crowd at the school, including a packed parking lot, should have made it clear an event was in progress.

Speaking from his own personal experience, Deal said, “If I had a school (nearby) and it was obvious something was going on there, I would not have done it right then.”

Deal acknowledged that time sensitivity can play a factor in warrant service, especially if the heinousness of a certain criminal allegation makes a suspect a likely flight risk.

Owens indicated that officers used unmarked cars, but no large equipment. However, he agreed that the China Grove police should have been notified once it was clear the residence was across the street from the school.

He said that although Rowan County was not the lead organization, he plans to discuss with deputies in the Rowan County department about making sure local authorities, including police and when necessary school officials, are aware of similar incidents in the future.

Deal reiterated that he did not expect the sheriff’s office or other superseding agencies to ask for his permission to come to China Grove, just that some forewarning could have prevented the commotion that was caused.

“We are all here for the same common goal but we have different partners that we have to play with,” Deal said. “My constituents in China Grove look to the China Grove Police. We are supposed to be the liaison between our citizens and the law enforcement coming in. It’s not a permission thing, it is about working together for a common goal. To work together you have to have communication. Everything can be done better through good communication.”

Advance notification among agencies is not a requirement, but Owens said he and many others in policing believe doing so as a courtesy is not only appropriate, just in case a situation requires additional back up, but it aids in building positive relationships between departments for times when joint operations are needed.

Similarly, Deal said that if things had “gone sideways” having the local law enforcement agency in the know could have helped prevent things going from bad to worse.

Calls to both Charlotte police and the US Attorney’s Office on behalf of the FBI have not yet been returned.