A former Portage High School student slid through the school’s front doors and allegedly wandered the halls before being arrested for trespassing and other offenses Wednesday morning, according to a police report.
Dai Jon Brown, 19, of South Haven, told police he was “tripping” on LSD when he was arrested carrying a backpack with more than 375 rounds of ammunition for firearms of varying sizes, the report said.
Portage Township Schools Superintendent Amanda Alaniz insisted the high school remains safe for students, but, she called the incident “an opportunity to review our policies and procedures.”
“There’s not a problem with school safety at Portage High School,” Alaniz said. “Our policies did work. By no means does that mean we don’t reevaluate and take a close look at those policies and procedures on a regular basis.”
Portage Police Chief Troy Williams, who sends his children to the school, said it was likely a schools safety committee would address the issue. Williams also said “the process” for handling such an incident worked.
It also demonstrates added responsibilities for teachers, he said.
“It does give you pause to be concerned, but the process worked, and (Brown) was dealt with,” Williams said. “We ask a lot of our teachers and staff, not only to be in the right mindset to teach these students, but, now, you have to be in the mindset to be aware of your surroundings. We’re adding a lot of extra stuff teachers probably didn’t need to deal with 20 or 30 years ago.”
According to reports, Brown, who police said has no prior arrests in Portage, tried talking with the school’s band teacher outside of the band room, but the teacher sent him away, directing Brown to go to the office and sign in if he wanted to visit.
Brown made his way around the east exterior of the high school to a front door, where he followed a wheelchair-bound student into the building, a police report said. Instead of checking in with the front office, Brown, who removed his shirt, wandered to the second floor, where he was spotted by another teacher who recognized Brown and escorted him to the main office, report said.
Brown admitted to a school resource officer, a Portage police officer assigned to the school, he was under the influence of LSD and had ammunition in his backpack, but police found no handguns or other weapons in the backpack, Williams said.
Along with the ammunition, police found a black ski mask, a pair of white gloves, softballs and a black binder in the backpack, a report said.
After he was arrested, Brown was taken to a local hospital where he was medically cleared, Williams said.
More Top Picks What Is Binocular Vision Dysfunction Bvd
Under questioning by a Portage detective, Brown said he had the ammunition, mask and gloves in his backpack because he was “planning on robbing a drug house” in Hobart he visited prior to the high school incident, according to police reports.
Brown told police he argued with the homeowner and planned to rob the house Tuesday night, but, Brown said he received a traffic citation en route and changed his mind, the report said.
Brown was charged with felony trespassing and misdemeanor public intoxication and false informing.
Michael Gonzalez is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.