After a check with local law enforcement agencies did not reveal any police officer known to be at the building, the fire alarm was activated to evacuate the building at 9:50 a.m. It was then determined that the armed individual was a legitimate police officer in plainclothes visiting as a guest speaker in a class in Copeland.

The building was evacuated for a very short time with minimal disruption to classes. It was re-opened as of 10:05 a.m.

OUPD Chief Andrew Powers and Assistant Vice President for Safety and Risk Management David Hopka led the response to the incident. Powers commended the person who alerted OUPD.

"She did exactly what she should have done and called the police," Powers said. "We minimized the interruption to faculty and students. Everything went just as you would have wanted it to in a text book incident."