THURSTON COUNTY, Wash. — A 15-year-old is in juvenile detention after authorities investigated a threat of gun violence that led to the cancellation of a senior night football game involving Rochester and Centralia.
Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders said the teen was initially arrested but briefly released from custody after what he described as a “breakdown of communication” within the sheriff’s office.
The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office said its Rochester School District resource officer began investigating the threat Friday. Investigators determined the concern about potential gun violence was credible, but said some people declined to cooperate with the investigation.
Deputies established probable cause to arrest the teen on suspicion of disturbing school activities, a misdemeanor, according to the sheriff’s office.
Washington State Patrol troopers later located the teen during a traffic stop and turned him over to the sheriff’s office. Deputies took him to Youth Services, but the facility initially declined to book him because the misdemeanor did not meet its normal booking threshold.
The teen was then released from police custody.
Sanders said deputies did not escalate the issue after the teen was denied booking, despite what he called the “exceptional circumstances” surrounding the alleged threat. He said he was not notified about the teen’s release at the time.
Sanders said he learned late Saturday night that the teen had been released and contacted Youth Services. The facility then agreed to make an exception and accept the teen if the circumstances were documented on the booking paperwork.
Sanders directed deputies to find the teen and take him back into custody. He said deputies located the teen within 30 minutes, and the teen was subsequently booked into juvenile detention.
Sanders took responsibility for the communication breakdown and said the sheriff’s office will review its response to make sure similar situations are properly escalated in the future.
The investigation remains ongoing.
The Rochester School District has rescheduled the football game for Monday at 6 p.m. at Rochester High School. The sheriff’s office said law enforcement will be more present at the game.
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