FARMINGTON — Police say an 8-year-old boy was charged with terrorizing for threatening a younger boy with a knife on a school bus Tuesday morning.
The father of the victim, Chris Heath, said Wednesday night that the older boy held a knife to his 6-year-old son’s throat. Both are students at Mallett School.
RSU 9 resource officer Bridgette Gilbert said Thursday she issued a summons to the suspect’s parents. The case was turned over to a juvenile community corrections officer, Gilbert said. The parents and the child will have to meet with the officer within the next couple of weeks, she said.
The second-grader was suspended from school for 10 days for having the knife and making threats, RSU 9 Superintendent Tom Ward said. Ten days is the longest a principal can suspend a student without going before the school board for an expulsion hearing, he said.
He said the 8-year-old boy was sitting two seats behind the bus driver when he threatened the 6-year-old kindergarten student.
The bus driver thought it was better to tell the child to put the knife away rather than trying to wrestle it away, because they were close to the school, Ward said. The bus driver radioed ahead to alert the principal.
Principal Tracy Williams met the school bus, the 8-year-old was removed and the knife was given to the principal, Ward said.
“The student has been suspended from school and referred to (Maine Department of Health and Human Services) and is receiving services and will be evaluated,” the superintendent said.
He said the district is required to find a way to educate the suspended student.
dperry@sunjournal.com
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