LONGMONT - Arguments and fights aren't unusual among school kids, but when a knife is involved, that's a different story.
Brandon Pol's 8-year-old son Anthony was waiting for the school bus Tuesday morning. That's when Pol says his son's 8-year-old classmate pulled a Swiss Army Knife out and threatened to stab him.
"When they got on the bus my daughter sent a text to my wife and told her what was going on," Pol said.
Pol says his wife called the principal and told her what happened. He says when the kids got off the bus the principal interviewed a number of kids and conducted her own investigation.
Later that day, Pol said he discovered Longmont police were not involved with the situation, so he called them himself.
"I don't think the school handled the situation right," Pol said. "I think they should have contacted police first, and the student should have been expelled."
The principal didn't end up expelling the student, but they suspended him for five days.
Longmont police say they opened an investigation into the incident, but because the child is under the age of ten, they are not able to press charges.
Based on the nature of the incident, the school district and the police department both agree that law enforcement did not have to be called. They say state statute does not require police involvement because of the child's age.
The situation raises the question of how an 8-year-old should be disciplined for something like this since they're not legally old enough to be criminally charged.
Child psychologist Dr. Larry Curry says this sort of aggressive behavior is typical with kids between 10 and 17 years old. He says seeing it with an 8-year-old is unusual but believes its behavior parents need to address.
"The discipline is really the key about educating and trying to get the help for a child this age," Dr. Curry said. "What can we do to educate them so something like this not only doesn't happen again to another kid, but it also doesn't get him in trouble again. It's ultimately the parents' responsibility."
The Pol family is still worried about Anthony going back to school every day with the same student who threatened him, but for now they don't have a choice. The family says they're hoping the situation doesn't happen again.
Meagan Fitzgerald/KUSA
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