School Officer Answering Silent Alarm Kills Kidnap, Rape Suspect

A school police officer, responding to a silent alarm at a Compton elementary school before dawn Wednesday, shot and killed a man who allegedly kidnaped a woman at knifepoint and ordered her to disrobe in an apparent rape attempt, authorities said.

James Calvin Williams, 30, of Compton was struck in the head by a single shot fired by the officer and was pronounced dead at Washington Elementary School.

Police withheld the identities of both the 31-year-old woman and the school officer, an 11-year veteran of the Compton Unified School District Police Department.

The woman was not injured. She told investigators that she was making a call at a pay telephone about a block and a half from the school when her assailant threatened her with a knife and took her to the school grounds.

Compton Police Sgt. Barry Lobel said the school district officer responded to a silent alarm and arrived at the school about 3:20 a.m.

When he got out of his car to unlock a gate, Lobel said, the officer heard a woman yell and saw Williams, armed with an assault knife with a 6-to-8-inch blade, approaching the victim, who was partially clothed.

The officer fired once, Lobel said.