Resource officer speaks about gun scare at school

Officer take gun from the student without any problems

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – Channel 4 spoke with a school resource officer who is being called a hero this week after securing a weapon that was brought into a classroom.

It was around 2 p.m. Wednesday when School Resource Officer Sheldon York was told by a teacher that there was possibly a gun in their classroom.

"My immediate reaction was keeping everybody here safe. As a resource officer that's what we do," said York. "We roughly have 1,800 kids here so my immediate concern was making sure everyone including the despondent child was safe."

York was able to take the gun from the student without any problems. York told Channel 4, this was the first time he's had to deal with a situation that could have become deadly.

"At that time I intervened, secured the weapon and the student and placed him under arrest for bringing a weapon to school," said York. "He got the gun from home, it was a parents' gun found in his house."

While York physically secured the weapon making sure no one would be hurt, he said there's another hero in this story.

"I think the true hero in this situation was the young man who came forward, It was very brave of him. All I did was assist. So kudos to the young man for doing what he did," said York.

"Outstanding, what a hero in and of its own self. It took a lot of courage to do that. Knowing that he might be crossing over being a confidant to his friend but recognizing that his friend needed help," said St. Augustine High School Principal Cathy Mittelstadt.

Charges against the student who brought the gun into school have been dropped. The student is receiving counseling.