August 11, 2021: Ribbon was cut at the new Brighton High School in Cottonwood Heights on Wednesday. Brighton High was one of 3 high schools in the Canyons School District that were recently rebuilt or rennovated. Photo: Canyons School District
COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS, Utah — A student at Brighton High School was tased by parents after attacking the school’s resource officer and trying to take her gun, according to our partners at KSL TV.
Lt. Dan Bartlett with Cottonwood Heights Police told KSL TV that the student was meeting with a counselor about returning to school. Lt. Bartlett said the resource officer responded to a commotion started by the student and then he jumped her.
“Unprovoked, our school resource officer was attacked,” Bartlett said.
Once the student took the officer to the ground, Bartlett said the teen bit her, tried to strangle her, and reached for her gun.
“This is our biggest fear,” said Bartlett. “Our biggest fear is a school shooting.”
While the officer struggled to hold onto the juvenile and keep him from taking her gun, some parents jumped in to help.
“[She] instructed one of the parents to grab her taser and use her taser,” explained Bartlett.
The unnamed parent comp.ied. He removed the taser from the resource officer’s belt and zapped the student. The officer was then able to take the student into custody.
Bartlett said the officer and teenager were taken to a nearby hospital. But not before the teen made it clear he intended to use the gun if he managed to take it.
“Without quoting the young man, I can tell you that he wanted to use the gun to harm other people,” Bartlett stated.
Bartlett also said Cottonwood Heights police have an extensive history with the teenager but did not elaborate. The student is expected to be booked into juvenile detention on several charges.