A 12-year-old sixth-grader from Oak Grove Middle School in Clearwater has been arrested by Clearwater Police officers on two criminal charges. The arrest followed an incident in which the student brought an 8-inch kitchen knife to school.
The student’s actions were provoked by an altercation at a bus stop on U.S. 19, during which another student allegedly slapped him. In response, the 12-year-old returned home to retrieve the knife and then returned to the bus stop. He then told the student to touch him again and pulled up his shirt to display the knife that was partially concealed in his shorts.
Upon arriving at school, a fellow student promptly reported the incident to school officials. The authorities charged the student with two offenses: possession of a weapon on school property (a felony) and improper exhibition of a dangerous weapon (a misdemeanor).
“Thankfully, a student saw something and said something,” said Police Chief Eric Gandy. “That’s what we always try to teach people, and this student absolutely did the right thing by telling someone at school. We were able to avert potential further issues once we became aware of the situation.”