Trail RCMP say they hope lessons may be learned from an incident Wednesday where a teacher was assaulted, so that it doesn’t happen again.
According to a police news release, a 36-year-old man with special needs was in a vehicle with his support worker in Warfield when he jumped out and ran. The worker reported him missing to police.
In the meantime, the man entered Webster elementary school through a door left unlocked due to a construction project.
Police say the man was found in the school gym by a teacher. When she approached him, he grabbed and pulled her hair. The teacher freed herself with help from a colleague, but may have suffered minor injuries.
School staff managed the incident until the man was returned to his support worker. RCMP are investigating, but don’t expect any charges.
“There are safety issues to consider that arose from this matter,” said Sgt. Mike Wicentowich. “The investigating officer is speaking with all involved parties to develop a joint safety plan and discuss best practices to avoid a future incident.”
Wicentowich said the man was not known to police.
In an email, Kootenay Columbia school district superintendent Katherine Shearer said she commends the “swift and caring actions” of staff who responded to the incident.
“Staff quickly and calmly moved students to safety while the principal and a staff member guided the individual out of the building, where his support worker was looking for him,” she said. “This ensured the school was secured in a timely manner.”
She added the school district has since worked with Webster elementary to review site entry points and security measures with staff and third-party contractors.
Students and staff affected by this incident are receiving support from the the school district’s critical incident response team and RCMP victim services.
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