Teen accused of carrying a knife onto a school campus is arrested

Ontario police officers tackled a 17-year-old as he brought a knife onto the campus of an elementary school Wednesday, the Police Department said.

In-person learning has not resumed in the Ontario-Montclair School District, so no students or faculty were at Bon View Elementary at the time, district spokeswoman Irma Sanchez said.

Police initially responded to the teen’s home about 7:15 a.m. after a report that he had threatened to kill his father and was brandishing a knife, Lt. Bill Russell said. The teen left the home and vandalized his father’s car as he walked away, Russell said.

Police caught up with the teen in a field at the school a short distance from his home. He was not wielding the knife at the time. He refused to obey officers’ commands, however, and the officers rushed the teen, tackled him and arrested him.

“That was the best way of getting him into custody, to make sure he was not going to pose a threat to any students, faculty or staff,” Russell said.

Police found a knife on the teen when they searched him, Russell said. The teen declined to make a statement to investigators, the lieutenant said.

The teen is not being publicly identified because he is a minor.

Ontario Police Chief Mike Lorenz seized on the incident as an opportunity to push back against Senate Bill 299.

The measure, authored by state Sen. Connie Leyva, D-Chino, would allow people injured by police or families of those killed by police to receive financial aid for recovery, burial or other costs from a fund typically used for victims of traditional crime.

Under the proposal, the family of someone killed by police could receive compensation even if the use of force is judged to be justified.

“Some politicians advocate that because of his age, (the arrested 17-yearold) shouldn’t be charged with a crime. Other politicians are trying to pass policy that since force was used, now the suspect is a victim #sb299. I disagree!” Lorenz wrote in a Twitter message.