Police: North Jackson man enters Boardman High School with gun, intoxicated
Boardman police officers arrested a man for bringing a gun into Boardman High School while intoxicated.
Christian Williams was arrested Wednesday after illegally going into the high school with a weapon, according to reports from the Boardman Police Department.
The investigation started with a traffic accident at 5:30 p.m. near 8386 Hitchcock Road in Boardman. Williams, who’s from North Jackson, was involved in the crash but ran on foot from the car before police got there, according to reports.
Inside the car owned by Williams, police saw ammunition and firearms equipment and assumed Williams had at least one weapon.
At 6:30 p.m., a second call came in to Boardman dispatchers from a male teacher at Boardman High School, which is on Glenwood Avenue.
The teacher was reporting an unknown man wearing a black hooded shirt and black pants was sitting outside a side door of the high school. He’d later be identified as Williams.
The teacher reported as he walked into the school, the man followed him.
The teacher said at first he thought Williams was inside the school for the student band concert.
But soon he started to suspect there might be a problem, according to reports, when Williams started crouching on the ground inside the school.
When Williams was turned around and crouching in the hallway, the teacher could see there was a gun in his waistband.
The teacher then asked Williams to leave the high school because he wasn’t allowed to have a firearm on school property.
Williams attempted to argue that he was allowed to have a gun because he had a CCW license.
The teacher told Williams even with a CCW he still can’t have a gun in the school and needs to leave.
Teacher, parents control situation until police arrive
While the male teacher was talking to Williams about how he needed to leave, he believed the trespasser might be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, in addition to having a weapon.
The teacher spotted a group of students who were about to enter the hallway Williams and the teacher were in, according to reports.
The teacher made sure the students turned around and weren’t in any danger.
Then once all the students were away from the hallway, the teacher got the attention of other adults on the floor to come help, according to police.
Reports say the group of adults were able to convince Williams to leave the school.
They saw him walking west once police arrived but police couldn’t find him at first.
Reports say the teacher told police he was concerned about the “safety of the students, staff and parents at the school for the band concert.”
When they were about to lock the school down for safety, police reported Williams was seen walking on Glenwood Avenue north of the main entrance to the high school.
Police arrested Williams and searched his pockets and holster. He was carrying a .9 mm pistol on school grounds with a loaded magazine, according to reports.
Williams was arrested for illegal possession of a weapon in a school zone, having a weapon while intoxicated and inducing panic.
Police reviewed the high school’s surveillance footage and took a statement from the teacher who spotted Williams intruding.
Williams was transported to Boardman Police Department where he told police he took fentanyl and benzodiazepines. He told officers he was beginning to overdose.
The police gave him Narcan and called Boardman Fire Department and Lane Ambulance for assistance.
Williams was taken to Mercy Health St. Elizabeth Boardman Hospital for treatment, according to the police reports.
After being cleared from the hospital, he was taken to the Mahoning County Jail.
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