STONEHAM — Chief James O’Connor reports that the Stoneham Police Department responded to an incident at South Elementary School involving an individual who was experiencing a mental health crisis, and that they have since charged that individual with criminal offenses.
On Thursday, March 21, Stoneham Police received a report of an unidentified individual who was walking around South Elementary School grounds.
Officers arrived within minutes and located an individual who appeared to be experiencing a mental health crisis. The individual fled, and officers took them into custody without incident.
A preliminary investigation determined that the individual was experiencing a mental health crisis and possessed a knife. Stoneham Police connected the individual with the appropriate services and the individual was transported to a local hospital as a precaution.
No students had contact with the individual and the individual never entered the school building. There is no danger to the school community. The individual has been given a no-trespassing order for all Stoneham Public Schools.
Stoneham Police have subsequently sought two criminal charges against the individual, including Carrying a Dangerous Weapon While On School Property and Disorderly Conduct.
“I would like to thank the Stoneham Police Department for their timely and professional response to this incident,” said Stoneham Public Schools Superintendent David Ljungberg. “The safety of our students is of utmost importance, and I would like to emphasize that our standard safety operating protocols and training procedures enabled a speedy response to this incident.”
“I commend the actions of our officers as they were able to use their continuous training to safely de-escalate and assist an individual experiencing a crisis while keeping the school community safe,” said Chief O’Connor.
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