Juvenile arrested in connection to Wednesday assault at Troy Community School
Troy Police Detectives have arrested a juvenile male in connection to an assault that occurred Wednesday at the Troy Community School, according to a statement from Troy City Hall.
Shortly after 11 a.m., Troy City School District personnel called 911 to report an assault that occurred at the Troy Community School (1010 5th Avenue). Troy Police Patrol Officers immediately responded along with the Troy Fire Department, according to the statement. Upon arrival, a 16-year-old juvenile male victim was located and a juvenile male suspect had been detained by Troy City School District Security Staff. Another adult male victim left the scene by private vehicle en route to a local area hospital.
Troy Fire Department treated the juvenile victim and transported the juvenile to a local area hospital with reportedly non-life-threatening injuries. He is expected to make a full recovery. The adult male victim was treated at a local area hospital and will also make a full recovery. The juvenile suspect was treated for a minor injury to his hand and brought to Troy Police Department’s Juvenile Services area for further investigation.
Preliminarily it has been determined the juvenile male suspect and juvenile male victim are known to each other and became involved in a dispute inside the school. The two juveniles began fighting and the suspect then injured the juvenile victim using a small pocketknife.
The adult victim, a member of the School’s Security Staff, immediately responded with other School Staff in an attempt to separate those fighting. While doing so the suspect also injured the adult victim.
In the statement, the city said they are appreciative of the quick actions of the School Security Staff who were able to quickly stop the fighting. Detectives and Evidence Technicians responded in order to interview the involved individuals and any witnesses. Evidence Technicians processed the evidence at the scene.
The juvenile male suspect is currently in Troy PD custody, he is accompanied by a family member and he will be charged in Rensselaer County Family Court in regards to this incident. He is 15 years old so no further information regarding his identity will be released.
“It’s a top priority to keep our youth and schools safe,” said Mayor Carmella Mantello in the statement. “I want to thank the Troy Police Department for their quick action and coordination with the Troy School City School District in apprehending this suspect. We will continue to work together to keep our schools and community safe.”
This incident and response benefited from the close relationship shared amongst Troy PD, Troy City School District administration and the TCSD community, said the statement. A shared priority of keeping students safe encouraged the involved personnel to immediately utilize a “Hold in Place” where the uninvolved students remained in their classrooms and were provided with any necessary resources.
City Hall also thanked the School Administration for their participation throughout the response and for the patience of students/families/ community members while they addressed the incident. There will be a continued presence at the campus while Troy PD concludes investigative fieldwork and in the coming days to ensure the Troy Community School students/staff understand that their safety is the highest priority. If anyone has any information regarding the incident and has not already spoken with a Police Officer or Detective, they ask to please consider contacting Detectives at (518) 270-4421.
The school also released a statement following the incident:
“This morning, Troy Community School contacted Troy Police to respond to a reported assault inside the building. The building was immediately put into a ‘Hold in Place.’ One student and one staff member were injured and were transported to a local hospital. Troy PD and District staff are working in collaboration to investigate.
“Out of an abundance of caution, there will be an increased police presence on campus,” it continued. “Troy Police have indicated there is no ongoing threat. We are grateful for our strong partnership with the Troy Police Department and thank them for their immediate response this morning to the Troy Community School. Due to the ongoing investigation, any further information will be released by the Troy Police Department.”