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At least one shot was fired by law enforcement after a chase down Wears Valley Road into Townsend ended when an armed robbery suspect — a man also identified as a violent sex offender — crashed a stolen vehicle into a cabin on Mountain Avenue and ran into the woods.

Authorities were searching for the suspect — identified as Phillip Hammock, 37, Sevierville — following the armed robbery, which took place in Pigeon Forge. The cabin Hammock allegedly crashed into was near Townsend Elementary School and the situation forced the school into a lockdown after gunshots were heard in the vicinity.

The chase ended when Hammock allegedly drove his white truck — which was reported stolen out of Alabama — into a cottage, O'Briant said. He then reportedly exited his vehicle, ran into the nearby woods and turned toward the officer, she said. The Townsend officer saw what he believed to be a gun and fired upon the suspect, O'Briant said.

As many as 60 emergency personnel were at the scene or participating in the search for Hammock at its peak, Blount County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Ron Dunn said.

Jonathan Baker, Townsend Elementary School's student resource officer (SRO), received two phone calls about the chase, said Principal John Dalton. The principal said Baker informed him about the situation, advised the school be put into a lockdown and Dalton agreed.

Blount County Director of Schools Rob Britt received a phone call around 1:30 p.m. that Townsend had been locked down and was en route within several minutes. School officials later decided to dismiss students. "A great portion of the Blount County Sheriff's Office was here and on-hand. I felt they would be safe, but we took the precaution to escort them out," Britt said.

Blount County Sheriff's deputies started leading students under armed guard to their parent's vehicles around 2:30 p.m.

School officials said they were pleased with the law enforcement response. "This is why we need SROs. By having him (Baker) here and given his quick response, it makes everyone feel better. He was invaluable," Dalton said. A counselor will also be at the school for students on Monday, he said.

Search continues

Hammock should be considered armed and dangerous, Dunn said.

"(He) certainly has the potential to be, and has been today," Dunn said.

Weather permitting today, helicopters will join the search for Hammock, he said, noting that bad weather made an aerial search impossible Friday.

Law enforcement personnel were out in the mountains covering "extremely rugged terrain," Dunn said. Hammock has family in the Wears Valley area and apparently worked in the area in the past. The way Hammock led officers around the area during the initial chase leads authorities to believe he is familiar with the area, Dunn said.

"He was taking some roads that somebody unfamiliar with this area wouldn't have taken," he said.

Members of Hammock's family told law enforcement that the man had recently been released from prison, Dunn said. According to information from the Tennessee Sexual Offender Registry, Hammock was convicted in 2003 on a charge of sexual abuse of a child younger than 12 years old. He is identified as a violent sexual offender.

Hammock had not been located as of late Friday and law enforcement scaled back the search at sunset -- leaving four or five Blount County Sheriff's Office deputies on patrol in the area -- but the search will resume this morning.