From Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office
October 22, 2022 – Three Rutherford County school students were charged with making false reports after allegedly threatening school safety this week, said School Resource Officer Capt. Brad Harrison.
The unfounded threats were made on social media posts, the captain said.
SRO T.J. Hinson charged a 13-year-old Blackman Middle School girl student who allegedly made the threat against her School and texted the threat to an Oakland Middle School student who air dropped it to other students.
SRO Barry Jones charged another 13-year-old girl at Rockvale Middle School who allegedly posted a threat against her school and Rockvale High School.
“She said she wanted to create drama,” Harrisoon said.
SRO Anthony Bragg charged a 15-year-old male student at Riverdale High School with posting a threat against his school on Snap Chat.
Sheriff Mike Fitzhugh said the Sheriff’s Office takes the threats seriously.
“We will investigate until the end,” Fitzhugh said.
Harrison said, “No credible dangers were found but the threats did cause disruptions. Because of this, three juveniles were charged for the threats to the schools. They now face hearings in Juvenile Court and school discipline.”
The SROs take any threat seriously.
“They worked diligently to probe into these threats and ensure the students at the schools were safe,” Harrison said. “I hope this helps the parents and the students breathe easier and understand that these dedicated SROs work persistently to ensure that the schools are protected. I am proud of their efforts.”
“We also encourage parents to talk to their children and help them understand the repercussions of making false reports through social media,” Harrison said.
Parents need to check their children’s social media sites regularly to prevent further threats.
