WFAA-TV

Kids on the Holy Family School playground could see the drug raid taking place.

MCKINNEY - A McKinney police drug raid has turned controversial after parents expressed concern about the lack of information given to those at a nearby school.

Clad in bullet proof vests, seven police officers rushed a house armed with a search warrant aimed at finding drugs. At that same time across the street, 18 children played at the Holy Family School's playground, parents and school administrators said.

Three of the officers involved in the raid wore masks to hide their identity.

"The kids saw everything, guns drawn [and] masks on the face," said Kristen Hendrix, the school's director. "That's pretty traumatic for four, five and six-year-olds."

Children weren't the only ones alarmed by the sight of the incident.

"It just scared me when I saw that many policemen with guns and things," said Linda Walker, a teacher at the school.

McKinney police were conducting a knock-and-announce search warrant, which is where they knock on the door and announce they're police officers. If no one answers, they bash in the door.

"The officers at the scene believed they could get in and get out and not affect the school," said Capt. Randy Roland, McKinney Police Department.

Police said they watched the house for two hours and didn't think anyone was home, which ended up being the case.

"What they saw they perceived as a high risk, high dangerous maneuver, but in actuality, it was a very low risk, routine type of police investigation," Capt. Roland said.

However, some school administrators and parents said they aren't satisfied with the department's explanation.

"Some teacher, anybody in the school, should have been called and informed that there was going to be a drug bust so they can get these kids into this building just in case gunshots start going," said Latasha Henry, a parent of a student at the school.

The department said they did follow policy.