Auburn man arrested after allegedly charging into elementary school with weapon

AUBURN, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — An Auburn man was arrested on Tuesday morning, Oct.3 after allegedly charging into a crowd of elementary students with a weapon and trying to get inside the school.

36-year-old Jeffery Sanders Jr. of Auburn was arrested around 9:47 a.m. on Monday at Casey Park Elementary School after being contained by the Auburn Fire Department who was at the school for a demonstration during fire prevention week.

According to Auburn Police, students and staff were at the front of the school with members of the Auburn Fire Department for the demonstration when Sanders allegedly tried to run inside.

It was when the demonstration concluded and the children were walking back into the front doors of the school, that Sanders came running down Pulaski St. and ran towards a fire truck that was parked in front of the school.

Police say Sanders then turned and ran directly at the school and through the front entry doors. As he was running into the school, he made contact with multiple kindergarten students and knocked at least one student to the floor, who obtained a small area of swelling to their head.

Sanders then tripped and fell to the floor and was almost immediately approached and contained by members of the Auburn Fire Department, Auburn City Ambulance, and School Resource Officer Flickner.

SRO Flickner advised the school principal to place the school in lockdown and she then attempted to lawfully detain Sanders and place him into handcuffs but Sanders resisted, attempting to pull away and run into a different room in the school.

With the assistance of several members of the Auburn Fire Department and Auburn City Ambulance, SRO Flickner was able to place Sanders into custody.

Police say it was then that Sanders was disarmed of a pocket knife that he was carrying in
his shorts pocket.

According to Auburn Police, Sanders is charged with the following:

• Criminal Trespass in the Third Degree (class B misdemeanor)
• Endangering the Welfare of a Child (class A misdemeanor)
• Obstructing Governmental Administration in the Second Degree (class A misdemeanor)

After being taken into custody, Sanders was taken to Auburn Community Hospital where he was treated and released for minor injuries that he obtained during the incident. He was then taken to Auburn Police Headquarters where he was processed and held pending arraignment.

Following the investigation of the incident, Police say at this time, Sanders may have been suffering from a mental health episode, and it is not believed that he had intended to harm any children.

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