A Thunder Mountain High School student was arrested midmorning Friday for having pocket knives on school grounds, police say.
The 14-year-old boy was lodged at a juvenile detention facility after responding police officers found two small folding blade pocket knives in his backpack, Juneau Police Department Sgt. Dominic Branson said in a phone interview.
According to a JPD news release, the school’s principal reported it to police at 11:20 a.m., and while officers were en route, school employees escorted the student outside of the building.
During that time, the student allegedly made threatening comments and actions, placing two staff members in fear, police say. The knives were never brandished as a weapon, police say.
The student was arrested on suspicion of fourth-degree assault for exhibiting threatening behavior and fourth-degree weapons misconduct for possessing knives on school grounds. He was taken to the Johnson Youth Center.
Both those offenses are class ‘A’ misdemeanors that can each carry up to one year of prison or a $10,000 fine as a maximum possible penalty.
It was not immediately known how school authorities discovered the student was in possession of the knives.
The Juneau School District could not be reached Saturday for comment. The student’s name was not released since he is a minor.
• Contact reporter Emily Russo Miller at 523-2263 or at emily.miller@juneauempire.com.
Comments (16)
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I truly hope that all those involved remember that this is a 14 year old boy and treat him as a troubled teen and not a criminal. Otherwise, we will surely create one.
JPD and the system have an exemplary history of good judgement
What happens next depends a lot on the attitude of the kid and the parents. No mention in the story of the parents.
If the threats were adult type threats then there could possibly be adult consequences.
There seems to be a bit of information missing from this story.
My personal experience with JPD is that they use good judgement every day. You just do not read about it in the paper. If the kids can address their problem with a reasonable attitude, then life will be much kinder for them.
I remember we played with
I remember we played with switchblades in class at Marie Drake in the old days. The teacher just told us to put them away. I remember one teacher in particular had a smile on her face as she told us they were inappropriate in the classroom.
shenry is correct...
... I don't know any of the circumstances. And this obviously has to be dealt with. But I've had dealings with TMHS and they definitely have a tendancy to over react and make things a criminal act. It's almost as if some there WANT to create criminals.
This has to be dealt with. But we can either correct a problem or we can set a young man on a path of crime. Please chose carefully.
This kid is dangerous...
Although names have not been released, this child lives in my neighborhood. He has a history of threatening, hurting, beating up kids, throwing large objects, whipping with chains, the list goes on. Small children are terrified. Adults are shocked. One of our kids has personally been attacked by this "child" while he was on the phone with my husband. The entire incident was heard over the phone and even my husband was threatened when he tried to come to the rescue. Something further must be done to correct this before someone really gets hurt.
Shenry,Have you considered
Shenry,
Have you considered that a criminal has already been created?
Most “troubled teens” don’t threaten violence against teachers…violent criminals do.
I can’t even imagine telling a teacher I would “punch them in the face” or threaten them with any other kind of violence. (Note…I have no idea what the kid actual said to the teachers)
It is too easy, today, for grown adults to be "placed in fear"
by unarmed 14 year olds. Probably because the child is fully aware that the adult in charge is no threat and in fact is powerless to exert any immediate consequences upon him/her.
Personally I believe adults are more in fear of the 'system'. These 'children' are not stupid.
The adults just did not apply enough "reasonable attitude". I'm sure the kid would have responded appropriately. :)
AK: Was JPD involved, and if so, was good judgement used in your opinion?
AK...
AK, if this is indeed the case, I hope he gets both the help and the punishment he needs and deserves. But I just know from first hand experience that the folks up there sometimes create a problem where there isn't one. Sounds like this may not be the case this time. I'm glad he's off your streets and hopefully out of your neighborhood.
A Chicken Smile
A smile goes a long way for these kids. A 14 year old in high school, taken away by cops, a pending psych evaluation, with probably a lecture about it was your decision, then placed back into the same situation, feeling alone.
Is the child or the surroundings a problem?
I refuse to give a psych evaluation about a 14 year old. I psych evaluate myself as a Baby Boomer. Because - even when I was 14, I never met my drug dealer and I didn't carry knives.
People need to put a perspective to what few sentences a teacher or a sequence number can do to a person's life, because the sentences continue to build.
Where do I send him a smile, because my sky fell long ago.
TMHS environment
Is welcoming and supportive. Lots of smiles around there. That is the idea of a small community school. If this student has problems, he brought them with him. Employees must look out for the welfare of all the students, not just this one. Maybe he has a mental health disorder.
Teachers v. Home
Smiles on all sides?
He brought the problems with him (possibly blame the home) says eowyn. The TMHS environment is welcoming and supportive with lots of smiles says eowyn. So, the logical "possible" answer is that the child has a mental health disorder, eowyn?
Stating the worst case scenario because of the fact that the school called JPD - One strategy is for the family to side with both the school and JPD, then with the psych evaluation.
Employees must look out for the welfare of all the students is true. Because, everyone is dealing with lives in the formation of their future. However, "Mental Health Disorder" is used way too much in this state to defend in any case. Very evident - the trashing of people and the power of the schools to get pro bono representation is ...
Mental health information tied to tax dollars was in the news media years and years ago about Alaska. I finally heard it enough to type it - The Alaska "Its not my problem, problem solved, its your problem." syndrome. (Passing the buck to the psych people, a very powerfull power play.)
The child is only 14 years old. The child needs decisions and choices without threats or fear.
Hold on there....chicken
Anyone that threatens another must endure the natural consequences of their behavior no matter their age. If a brush with the law is what it takes to 'educate' this youngster regarding appropriate behavior then so be it. I, like you, sincerely hope the child’s age is a consideration but I assure you a simple smile is not a cure all.
why fid this kid nest on other kids our kids need to feel safe
Our kids need to feel safe in school I was bulled by other kids when I was in school back in the old Dagyd the teacher looked the other way this happen to me tor a long time. I turned out to be a good person I don't believe in bulling I think kids need to feel safe in school. I think they did a good job getting this kid out of the situation
How about a dose of truth?
The reporter in this story is clearly mis-reporting the truth. thirty seconds of fact checking revealed the following fabrication made by Ms Miller of the Juneau Empire;
The press release from Juneau Police Department actually says, "staff members of the school followed the student outside" a vastly different situation than the “escorted" that is alleged by the Empire.
The Press Release goes on to say “Two of the staff members reported that although the student didn’t brandish the knife, they were placed in fear by the student’s words and actions.” I guess the question here is, did the staff members place themselves in fear? It sounds like the kid was making reasonable efforts to leave the situation and was “followed” by staff members who now claim he was placing them in fear… even though they continued to follow….
@AH HA
My guess is the child was threatening toward authority, and then busted out the door. A responsible teacher would follow to see where the angry child was going, especially if he had knives. A good person wouldn't just say, great out of my building, not my responsibility anymore.
If an angry, threatening teen is armed and acting irresponsibly, then adults need to help him.
I think those teachers had a right to feel scared - they don't need to be belittled by you asking if they "placed themselves in fear." See how you feel with an angry teen in your face. I've seen it in my life, not at a school but at a basketball game, and I felt scared by that kid, even if he didn't have knives accessible to him.
@ken, JPD has been involved as well as JYS...
multiple times. Enough is enough, sending him back to school repeatedly is scary to me.