Officer Sent to Hospital After Struggle With Leonardtown High School Student

The Bay Net Photo by Daniel Gross

At approximately 2:30 p.m. on Friday afternoon State Troopers along with St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s officers responded to Leonardtown High School for an “officer in distress” signal.

A pupil had been suspended following a hearing at the school. At 2 p.m. the 16 year old boy from Callaway became disorderly and aggressive and was confronted by the high school resource officer, SDFC Ross, inside the school. The boy was ordered to stop but continued to cause a disturbance, according to the Sheriff’s Office, at which point he was placed under arrest and began to physically resist.

While the Officer Ross was involved in a struggle with the pupil a desk came away from a wall under the weight of the student and the officer, Lt. Alioto told The Bay Net.

The Officer Ross’ hand was trapped against the wall and hit by a chair during the struggle. After sustaining injury he activated his distress call and a number of nearby police responded to the school to assist him.

Officers and troopers ran into the building and emerged a short while later leading the student in handcuffs into a patrol car. Officer Ross was transported to St. Mary’s County Hospital for medical treatment. “We believe the officer’s hand could be broken,” Alioto told The Bay Net. He was released the same evening.

The report from the Sheriff’s Office suggests the injury to Officer Ross may not have been intentional. According to the report the boy and Officer Ross “fell” into a chair, which caused the injury. The boy was not injured during the struggle. He has been charged with disturbing school activities and resisting arrest and was released to a parent pending a court hearing.

This violent eruption by a Leonardtown High School student comes on the heels of a meeting at Great Mills High School this week to address the concerns of pupils, staff and parents in response to a recent spate of violence at that school.