Just when you think you’ve heard it all from government schools and their staff!   Alfred J. Purcell III, a 30 year veteran teacher from Woodstock, Connecticut, thought it would be a great idea to highlight his school’s need for metal detectors if he brought live ammo into a school building during school hours and pretended he found it there!

From the news article: 

Purcell, 57, was charged with two counts of carrying a dangerous weapon on school grounds, two counts of possessing a firearm without an FID card, disturbing a public assembly, disorderly conduct and disturbing the peace.  Purcell’s lawyer for the arraignment, Leah J. Metro, said her client denied any involvement with the bullet that was found.

The teacher, according to authorities, admitted he was trying to bring attention to concerns about school safety. The teacher told authorities it needs more security, specifically metal detectors in the facility, which is a combined building for middle and high school students.

During Thursday’s lockdown, staff from the high school and a school resource officer reviewed video camera footage and observed an older male teacher wearing khaki pants, a blue shirt and yellow tie standing in the area where the bullet was located just before 8 a.m. It is the same attire Purcell wore for his arraignment, and staff members who saw the footage identified the teacher as Purcell, according to the police report.

After they arrived at the stairwell and had conversation with Purcell about his alleged discovery, the school was placed on lockdown. Purcell returned to his class with his students during the lockdown.

Authorities arrested Purcell at the school and took him to police headquarters. During booking, he reportedly admitted to intentionally dropping the live round of ammunition in the stairwell.

Parents trusted this teacher to protect their children and make them feel safe.  Instead, he decided to put their kids through an afternoon of terror, with police swarming the school.  Police kept the school in lock down for over an hour.    The school district added that they have put the teacher on leave, but that’s too little, too late.