First on FOX 5: Student arrested in Churchill knife incident disrupted football game, MCPS says
Teen arrested in attack at Churchill High School caught on camera in prior violent incident at football game
A Walt Whitman High School student who was arrested for attacking a girl at Churchill High School and also threatening people with a knife was caught on camera in a prior violent incident at a football game.
POTOMAC, Md. - FOX 5 confirmed on Friday the 17-year-old Walt Whitman High School student who allegedly assaulted a female Churchill student on that campus – and then pulled a knife on a parent who intervened – is also the same student who sparked security concerns after disrupting a Whitman JV football game last week.
Some parents also had questions as to whether police could still patrol Friday football games since School Resource Officers were pulled from the buildings this year.
That 17-year-old suspect was charged as an adult, facing charges that include: three counts of first degree assault, having a weapon on school property, disruption of school activities, trespassing, and of witness intimidation. FOX 5 is withholding his photo and name for now, in the event his case is transferred to juvenile court.
Montgomery County Public Schools Spokesperson Christopher Cram confirmed with FOX 5 that a video showing this more violent football game disruption last week, is in fact the same student. The video was captured on cell phone video and shared with FOX 5.
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In the video, you can hear parents repeatedly asking "Where’s security?" as the interactions become intense. In one portion, the student is seen appearing to charge a coach. He swipes a hat and then throws a bicycle on the field.
The event happened at a Walt Whitman High School JV Football game last Friday and stopped the game. The parent who shared the video said it felt like it took security around 15-20 minutes to stop this student.
Cram confirmed for FOX 5, Montgomery County Police are assigned to every Varsity football game in the Fall. However, the incident occurred at a Junior Varsity game. School security responded first. We’re told county police were also called to this incident.
The Churchill incident took place the following week on Wednesday.
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An angry parent who asked not to be identified took to social media saying he was the adult who intervened after the 17-year-old allegedly assaulted a female Churchill student on Churchill’s campus. On radio dispatch call recordings from the site OpenMHz, you could hear officials note this was during a lunch hour with lots of students outside.
The father claims when he stepped-in to intervene, both he and his child were threatened with the knife. The father wrote he was up all night and hadn’t been able to sleep.
FOX 5 did speak to this father over the phone. He declined an interview not wanting to jeopardize the investigation against the student. He was still livid over the incident.
In his social media post, the parent apparently did not know School Resources Officers were pulled from school buildings this. That parent blamed County Executive Marc Elrich in his post.
The MCPS spokesperson tells FOX 5 security is their top priority. On the SRO debate, Cram said they want to make sure "every student is treated equitably" and that the schools are still working with police – who are now patrolling areas around the schools and do respond will called.
The 17-year-old is in jail. He was held without bond at arraignment.