"He's a nice guy. He's just like any other kid," .
If so, we are in Big trouble.
Student arrested on gun charge
By Pam Regensberg, Camera Staff Writer
A Boulder High School student was jailed Wednesday after a fellow student alleged that the boy threatened him with a handgun during a drug transaction.
The 16-year-old student, whose name is not being published because he is a juvenile, was handcuffed at the intersection of 16th Street and Arapahoe Avenue as a crowd of students assembled on a sidewalk across the street.
Boulder police Sgt. Robert Thomas said the suspect walked up and turned himself in while Thomas was questioning three students near the intersection.
The teenager had a knife but did not have a gun with him, Thomas said. On Wednesday evening, police found two handguns during the search of the boy's home, said city of Boulder spokeswoman Jennifer Bray, but she did not specify what kind they were.
The juvenile was being held initially on suspicion of felony menacing and possession of a knife. The boy's father did not immediately allow police to interview his son or to search the family home, police said, but they later obtained a search warrant.
The situation began Wednesday morning when one student approached two teenagers to buy some marijuana, police said. The trio drove to Pleasant View Fields in north Boulder where the drug transaction was to take place, according to police.
"The victim gave them $50 and then the suspect drew a handgun and refused to give the money back," police spokeswoman Jana Petersen said.
Petersen said that while the suspect was pointing the gun at the alleged victim, the victim got out of the car and ran.
The victim took a bus back to Boulder High while the suspect and the driver returned to school in the vehicle, according to police reports. However, police said they think the suspect and the driver drove to the 16-year-old's house before returning to the high school campus.
"The victim began talking to friends about it and someone reported it to the principal," Petersen added.
Petersen said the driver is being treated as a witness, but that could change as the investigation progresses.
Sarah Irons, 15, said the suspect wasn't in their second-period language arts class on Wednesday. Irons was one of dozens of students who watched police take the student into custody. Irons said she never would have expected such a thing from her classmate.
"He's a nice guy. He's just like any other kid," Irons said, adding that the suspect had been working with a teacher to improve his grades.
Several students took exception to the number of police officers who they say stormed the campus looking for the student. They also said there was a lack of information being disseminated as the situation unfolded.
"One of them had an assault rifle. What do they need an assault rifle for?" questioned 17-year-old Rachel Stanley.
Deputy Chief Jim Hughes said officers have a heightened sensitivity to reports of students with guns.
"With our recent history of school violence, police in any jurisdiction must treat these kinds of calls with the utmost seriousness," Hughes said, adding that eight Boulder officers responded to the high school.
Authorities said there have not been any gun-related incidents at Boulder High in at least two years.
A 17-year-old student at Louisville's Monarch High School was arrested Oct. 12 after he brought a .32 caliber revolver and a stun gun to school.
Colorado law requires that students caught with dangerous weapons at school be expelled, school officials said.
Contact Pam Regensberg at (303) 473-1329 or regensbergp@thedailycamera.com
Copyright 2000 The Daily Camera
If so, we are in Big trouble.
Student arrested on gun charge
By Pam Regensberg, Camera Staff Writer
A Boulder High School student was jailed Wednesday after a fellow student alleged that the boy threatened him with a handgun during a drug transaction.
The 16-year-old student, whose name is not being published because he is a juvenile, was handcuffed at the intersection of 16th Street and Arapahoe Avenue as a crowd of students assembled on a sidewalk across the street.
Boulder police Sgt. Robert Thomas said the suspect walked up and turned himself in while Thomas was questioning three students near the intersection.
The teenager had a knife but did not have a gun with him, Thomas said. On Wednesday evening, police found two handguns during the search of the boy's home, said city of Boulder spokeswoman Jennifer Bray, but she did not specify what kind they were.
The juvenile was being held initially on suspicion of felony menacing and possession of a knife. The boy's father did not immediately allow police to interview his son or to search the family home, police said, but they later obtained a search warrant.
The situation began Wednesday morning when one student approached two teenagers to buy some marijuana, police said. The trio drove to Pleasant View Fields in north Boulder where the drug transaction was to take place, according to police.
"The victim gave them $50 and then the suspect drew a handgun and refused to give the money back," police spokeswoman Jana Petersen said.
Petersen said that while the suspect was pointing the gun at the alleged victim, the victim got out of the car and ran.
The victim took a bus back to Boulder High while the suspect and the driver returned to school in the vehicle, according to police reports. However, police said they think the suspect and the driver drove to the 16-year-old's house before returning to the high school campus.
"The victim began talking to friends about it and someone reported it to the principal," Petersen added.
Petersen said the driver is being treated as a witness, but that could change as the investigation progresses.
Sarah Irons, 15, said the suspect wasn't in their second-period language arts class on Wednesday. Irons was one of dozens of students who watched police take the student into custody. Irons said she never would have expected such a thing from her classmate.
"He's a nice guy. He's just like any other kid," Irons said, adding that the suspect had been working with a teacher to improve his grades.
Several students took exception to the number of police officers who they say stormed the campus looking for the student. They also said there was a lack of information being disseminated as the situation unfolded.
"One of them had an assault rifle. What do they need an assault rifle for?" questioned 17-year-old Rachel Stanley.
Deputy Chief Jim Hughes said officers have a heightened sensitivity to reports of students with guns.
"With our recent history of school violence, police in any jurisdiction must treat these kinds of calls with the utmost seriousness," Hughes said, adding that eight Boulder officers responded to the high school.
Authorities said there have not been any gun-related incidents at Boulder High in at least two years.
A 17-year-old student at Louisville's Monarch High School was arrested Oct. 12 after he brought a .32 caliber revolver and a stun gun to school.
Colorado law requires that students caught with dangerous weapons at school be expelled, school officials said.
Contact Pam Regensberg at (303) 473-1329 or regensbergp@thedailycamera.com
Copyright 2000 The Daily Camera