GENTRY -- Police obtained warrants on Monday, charging a Gentry seventh-grade student with two felonies and a misdemeanor for allegedly threatening another student with a knife and later threatening to bring a gun to school and shoot students at the middle school.
While the student's name has not been released, Gentry Police Chief Keith Smith said the police department received a tip and first learned of the school incident on April 23 and immediately began an investigation and removed the male student from the school. Smith said his department found no evidence that the student ever brought a firearm to the school but that they take all such threats seriously.
According to Smith, the juvenile is charged with felony terroristic threatening and felony aggravated assault in addition to misdemeanor charges for bringing a weapon (a knife) to school.
Smith said the student allegedly threatened another student or students with a folding knife on April 17 and allegedly made threats on April 23 to bring a gun to school and shoot students.
Smith said his department was also looking into the possibility that the action was provoked by bullying or malicious teasing by other students, in which case, additional charges could possibly be filed against other students.
"We had a middle school student who brought a knife to school," Randy Barrett, school superintendent said in an email on Monday. "He was alleged to have told a group of students 'he would bring a gun to school and shoot them.' The matter was handled initially by the principal and SRO. The student is facing disciplinary action with the school and with legal authorities. The student has been suspended and will possibly be expelled," Barrett wrote.
Attempted sexual assault
Gentry Police Department is also investigating an attempted sexual assault against a 16-year-old girl which is alleged to have occurred at approximately 12:30 a.m. on Sunday near the intersection of N. Robin Road and E. Main Street.
According to police, the girl was not physically harmed in the incident. The man, possibly a short white male, reportedly left in a dark-colored SUV type vehicle.
Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call the Gentry Police Department at 736-8400.
DWI Accident
Police also released reports relating to the arrest of Preston Blair, 27, of Gentry.
According to released reports, Blair was charged with driving while intoxicated with drugs, refusal to submit to blood tests, driving on a suspended license, careless driving, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a controlled substance.
The arrest followed an afternoon April 19 traffic accident on Pioneer Lane at Mockingbird Lane in which Blair is alleged to have lost control of the car he was driving and drove up on the sidewalk and into a yard on the east side of Pioneer Lane. His car then crossed Pioneer Lane and struck another car which turned into the Gentry Middle School in an attempt to avoid being hit by the car driven by Blair.
According to police reports, Blair appeared intoxicated and admitted to using marijuana but refused a blood test. An inventory search of Blair's car after he was arrested for driving on a suspended license produced marijuana, a bag of pills which included hydrocodone and Oxycontin, hypodermic needles and a loaded AR-15 magazine (no weapon was found).
No serious injuries were reported in connection with the accident.
General News on 04/30/2014