Local police were informed of the out-of-control student, and an officer arrived who was apparently "specifically trained in crisis intervention team training." The officer was indeed able to calm the student down. However, while they were seated next to one another after the incident, the student reached down, grabbed the officer's gun, and accidentally pulled the trigger.
"It was discharged on the school bus," explains Lauren Cummings of the Winchester Police Department. "The shot fired through the seat and hit the floor."
No one was hurt, though the event has caused the Winchester Police Department to look into the matter. People question whether this may have been an issue with the holster or with the gun itself.
"We'll be contacting the manufacturer of this holster to find out if they've had any similar incidents," says Cummings. "We'll be taking a look at did the holster actually malfunction in some way. We'll be looking more closely at that and trying to determine how we can prevent this incident from occurring again."
As far as the gun is concerned, Cummings explains that the force uses special guns that utilize a different safety system. In this way, she says, the student involved was able to somehow reach down and disengage the safety while pulling the trigger.
It is still to be determined what encouraged the pulling of the trigger. "The student involved in the incident was taken to Daniel Morgan and released to his parents," says Kevin McKew, executive director of Winchester Public Schools. "His status," McKew continues, "will be determined through the disciplinary process of the school system."
The other children aboard the bus reportedly were taken to school once events had calmed and continued about their normal school day.
as Forest Gump put it: 'Stupid is as stupid does'.
And in this case, when dealing with 'special needs' students, the experienced 'adult' knows not to bring weapons into the fray. It seems all the special training as been for naught, though this experience might serve as a reminder for them that they 'know not what they do'.