School Bus Driver arrested for carrying gun on bus

[R_Bert]

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/feb/13/sevier-school-bus-driver-charged-with-carrying/

[plank white]

Rather be tried by twelve than carried by 6 sounds like she was scared and wanted to protect herself getting another job wouldve probably been the best route but hey thats probably not an option in this economy

[Volzfan]

The story conveniently let out wheter or not she had a permit to carry the gun. I guess if she would have had a permit they would have certainly plastered that on the headlines, "Permit Holder Arrested with Gun on Shhool Grounds". She had to know that she was breaking the law and must have decided the risk was worth it.

[leroy]

Interesting read. I predict nothing will come from this. The school system and sevier county cant have employees sayin they are genuinely "afraid". This one will be interesting to watch. Thanks for posting it.

leroy

[Just2Honor]

+1 to volsvan. The media also leaves HCP holders out of their stories on the "parking lot bill" They just say "will allow employees to have their guns in their car on company and public property" or some such. When I hear or rewad it I send them an email that it applies to HCP holdeers, others are still prohibited.

[hipower]

Yes, I will watch for the outcome here. It has some interesting points. Yes the woman broke the law, but seems from the article, she had a genuine concern for her safety. Doing pickups in an area documented to have issues, and calling and getting a LEO escort should have some validity on the case, at least in the public eye. But as leroy states, maybe it will just be cast aside. We'll wait and see.

[Oh Shoot]

Yes, I will watch for the outcome here. It has some interesting points. Yes the woman broke the law, but seems from the article, she had a genuine concern for her safety. Doing pickups in an area documented to have issues, and calling and getting a LEO escort should have some validity on the case, at least in the public eye. But as leroy states, maybe it will just be cast aside. We'll wait and see.

I see no way she's not guilty of it, unless they just want to give her a big break. School bus is mentioned specifically in statute, too.

Assuming the gun was loaded I guess they're charging her under the "going armed" part of 39-17-1309 -- it's a felony conviction even if they just slap her wrists with sentence.

I suppose they could give her a big break and only charge her under the second part of the statute, which would be a 'meaner instead, or let her cop to it or some other 'meanor -- as always you get can get all the justice you can afford.

- OS

[JeffL]

I don't see her name listed in Commercial Appeal's HCP database.

Edited February 17, 2012 by JeffL

[QuietDan]

If they don't let her carry into the dangerous territory, then she ought not go there unless she has the Sheriff's escort. The Sheriff's office will get pretty tired of that pretty quick. Barring the Sheriff's protection, maybe she ought to stop about a half-mile away and let the little s#!+s walk the rest of the way home. Better yet. Don't take the little s#!+s on the bus and make their low-life parents come to the school to pick them up. They had better not fire her, who the heck else are they going to get to drive the damn bus?

[Oh Shoot]

If they don't let her carry into the dangerous territory, then she ought not go there unless she has the Sheriff's escort. The Sheriff's office will get pretty tired of that pretty quick. Barring the Sheriff's protection, maybe she ought to stop about a half-mile away and let the little s#!+s walk the rest of the way home. Better yet. Don't take the little s#!+s on the bus and make their low-life parents come to the school to pick them up. They had better not fire her, who the heck else are they going to get to drive the damn bus?

What malarkey, on every level.

The job is what the job is. Do the job or not. If you choose to do it, don't engage in blatantly illegal behavior while doing it.

It is to laugh to assert that there's anywhere in Sevier County too dangerous to drive a friggin school bus in the first place.

She had a sheriff's escort the day she was arrested.

She has already been fired.

- OS

[QuietDan]

She has already been fired.

Who then, are they going to get to drive the damn bus?

Have you driven a school bus lately? Some of the kids nowadays are twice as big as a little ol' female school-bus driver and would as soon cave in the side of the bus-driver's face as sit quietly in their seats.

Are you willing to drive this bus on this route?

Have you reviewed the sheriff's reports lately? I imagine the Sheriff or local police departments could describe places that are too dangerous to drive a bus. I imagine that in the last year, there has been at least one report of a child in school with a gun in their backpack, which would have been carried . . . on the school-bus! Apparently the risk assessment was such that the Sheriff's office sent an escort for the bus.

If I were a school-bus driver, I'd want to be at least as well armed as my passengers! I might settle for a taser. You can rest assured that the county schools are not going to go through the cost and expense to put an armed security guard on the school bus, not even one in rotation among the various school busses.

Nothin' personal here, just to move the issue forward a little. . . .

Edited February 19, 2012 by QuietDan

[Oh Shoot]

Who then, are they going to get to drive the damn bus?

I'm sure it won't be a problem, replacements will be lined up.

Have you driven a school bus lately?

I did FedEx Ground all over Sevier County; have delivered to that very enclave there on Boyd's Creek. Who's a more likely target, a FedEx truck full of stuff, or a school bus driver?

Btw, The Stables isn't really a "mobile home park" in the sense that most think of it. It's composed of manufactured homes, most don't even seem moveable; I think the buyers actually own the lots, too. It's the Taj Mahal compared to an actual trailer park.

Some of the kids nowadays are twice as big as a little ol' female school-bus driver and would as soon cave in the side of the bus-driver's face as sit quietly in their seats

Hell, she may be bigger than me. Anyway, best advice is probably not to work at something that puts you in fear for your life.

Are you willing to drive this bus on this route?

I would indeed, if I lived over there and needed a job. Especially since I'm already familiar with the area. Being a law abiding sort for the most part, I'd not carry to do it, either, even though I'm now a more vulnerable older fart too. Life's full of risks. Driving a vehicle is one of the biggest of all, day by day.

Have you reviewed the sheriff's reports lately? I imagine the Sheriff or local police departments could describe places that are too dangerous to drive a bus.

I WALK around more dangerous areas here in Knoxville than The Stables, hands down. If the LEA over there deems The Stables too dangerous for school buses, I reckon they'd so something about it. Maybe you should go over there and take a look at that area. Safer than half of your Oak Ridge, I'd posit. I believe they run school buses daily in Anderson County.

If I were a school-bus driver, I'd want to be at least as well armed as my passengers!

I want a lot of stuff. For the most part, I choose to obey the law. If I don't and get caught, I have to take my lumps. Just the way it is.

- OS

[QuietDan]

I'm sure it won't be a problem, replacements will be lined up.

I did FedEx Ground all over Sevier County; have delivered to that very enclave there on Boyd's Creek. Who's a more likely target, a FedEx truck full of stuff, or a school bus driver?

Btw, The Stables isn't really a "mobile home park" in the sense that most think of it. It's composed of manufactured homes, most don't even seem moveable; I think the buyers actually own the lots, too. It's the Taj Mahal compared to an actual trailer park.

Hell, she may be bigger than me. Anyway, best advice is probably not to work at something that puts you in fear for your life.

I would indeed, if I lived over there and needed a job. Especially since I'm already familiar with the area. Being a law abiding sort for the most part, I'd not carry to do it, either, even though I'm now a more vulnerable older fart too. Life's full of risks. Driving a vehicle is one of the biggest of all, day by day.

I WALK around more dangerous areas here in Knoxville than The Stables, hands down. If the LEA over there deems The Stables too dangerous for school buses, I reckon they'd so something about it. Maybe you should go over there and take a look at that area. Safer than half of your Oak Ridge, I'd posit. I believe they run school buses daily in Anderson County.

I want a lot of stuff. For the most part, I choose to obey the law. If I don't and get caught, I have to take my lumps. Just the way it is.

- OS

Awesome!