DECATUR, Ala. — Two incidents at Austin Junior High School today (Feb. 15) led to the intervention of school resource officers and the arrests of three students. According to Decatur City Schools, the first incident happened at about 1:00 p.m. and involved two students serving in-school suspension. They got into a fight and could not be separated by school administrators. The school's SRO intervened and one student was tazed. Both students were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct.
The second incident happened just before 3:00 p.m. when the SRO was alerted to a student with a gun. The SRO and assistant principal found a student with a loaded 9mm Glock. Officials say there was no direct threat reported besides the student with the gun. They say the school immediately went into "heightened alert status" with additional police officers brought to campus and parents notified. The student was charged with "Certain Persons Prohibited to Possess a Firearm" and taken to the Juvenile Detention Center in Tuscumbia. Decatur Police confirm both incidents at Austin Junior High School were unrelated.
Decatur City Schools will be virtual tomorrow, February 16.
When schools reopen on Friday, they will be on heightened alert with extra police officers on campus.
The district released this video of Deputy Superintendent Dwight Satterfield speaking on the incidents:
Statement from Decatur City Schools:
