CHIMACUM — A former Chimacum student is being held at the Kitsap Youth Detention Center after bringing a knife to campus, the Chimacum superintendent said.
The campus was locked down for about 10 minutes Tuesday afternoon after the former Chimacum Middle School student showed up on campus with a knife, Superintendent Rick Thompson told parents in a letter.
Neither the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office nor the Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office could be reached for comment Wednesday.
Thompson said the student — who was not identified — had been banned from campus last year for disciplinary reasons and had previously been at a medium-to-maximum-security rehabilitation institution in Snoqualmie.
Thompson said the student was back in the community over Memorial Day weekend, but on Tuesday morning, the boy’s father called the school to say he had run away and asked school personnel to keep an eye out for him.
Middle School Principal David Carthum saw the student on campus just after 1 p.m., called 9-1-1 and went outside to talk with him, Thompson said.
The boy’s father soon joined him, according to Thompson.
Three sheriff’s deputies came to the school, Thompson said. The boy brandished a knife and was taken into custody, he said.
“No one was injured, thankfully,” Thompson said, “but he should not have been on our campus. We’re grateful his father called us.”
Thompson said the district has been in contact with the Jefferson County prosecuting attorney and a letter was sent to parents Wednesday about the situation.
“It was really hard on our staff,” Thompson said. “Thankfully, it was outside the school and maybe one other staff member witnessed it, but I don’t think any students saw what happened.”
According to Thompson’s letter to parents, the student was arrested without incident and was placed in the Kitsap Juvenile Detention Center. The letter said the case has been handed over to the Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
Jefferson County Editor/Reporter Cydney McFarland can be reached at 360-385-2335, ext. 55052, or at firstname.lastname@example.org.