HAINES CITY, Fla. — A 33-year-old woman was arrested on Friday after attempting to walk into Ridge Community High School’s building with a knife, according to city officials.
Around 6:33 a.m., school administrators saw the woman attempting to enter a locked door to a campus building with a knife, the city says. Two resource officers responded and placed the woman under arrest without problems.
She was charged with armed trespassing on school property with a weapon, a third-degree felony. Her name is not being released as police said the investigation is ongoing and mental health may be a factor.
10 Tampa Bay exclusively spoke with both school resource officers at Ridge Community High School.
Officer Daniel Hicks recalled hearing the call for help come in.
"They informed me that a lady was there on campus unlawfully and she also had a knife," Hicks said.
He found the knife in the grass near the student parking lot and immediately ran inside where the woman was.
"We wanted to make sure no one was in danger and staff was safe which is why we rush in," Hicks explained.
That's when Officer Steven Evans came to assist Officer Hicks. The two arrested the woman and put her in their patrol car. From there, they made sure everyone was safe.
"If something were to happen, that we are there to stop it and neutralize the threat completely," Evans stated. "That’s our main purpose."
“Thanks to the quick actions of the personnel at Ridge Community High School and the School Resource Officers, a potential incident was quickly avoided,” Deputy Chief Jay Hopwood said. “This is why it is an advantage to having School Resource Officers on campus to safely protect our children from any intended or unintended actions of subjects.”
An automated telephone call and email were sent to parents and guardians notifying them of the situation and informing them that staff and students were safe, said Jason Geary, a spokesman with Polk County Public Schools.
No one was injured and the woman is facing charges as the investigation continues.