HS Seniors arrest for prank

[LIDisneyFan]

Appropriate? Over-reaction?

http://www.tampabay.com/news/public...prank-at-osceola-high-school-in-largo/1171732

LARGO — For the second time this week, authorities descended on a high school in the wee hours of the morning to stop a crime, only to discover something far less sinister:

A senior prank.

But in this case, unlike the previous incident at Plant High School in Tampa, several teenagers were arrested. They were all handcuffed and eventually booked into the Pinellas County Jail.

Just after 1 a.m. Wednesday, campus police heard voices inside Osceola High School and called the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.

Ten deputies, three K9s and a helicopter — to protect the deputies — responded to the high school at 9751 98th St. N. As deputies arrived on campus, the group of teenagers scattered, said Pinellas Sheriff's Office spokesman Tom Nestor.

Deputies said the teenagers, most of whom are students at Osceola, planned to line the schools' hallways with 4,000 styrofoam cups filled with water. Deputies said they entered the school with a key.

The teenagers didn't get very far — deputies chased them down.

At least seven teenagers — including two juveniles — were arrested and charged with trespassing, a misdemeanor. Deputies said there were more people involved.

"They could have been charged with felonies," said Nestor. "But when they [deputies] got down to the bottom of it and realized it was a school prank...they charged them with misdemeanors."

It's up to the state attorney's office to decide whether to prosecute.

The school is investigating the prank and whether there will be any consequences, such as preventing the students from walking at graduation, said Pinellas County School District spokeswoman Andrea Zahn.

The Osceola prank comes after a similar senior prank on Monday.

Twenty Plant High School seniors had begun "Saran wrapping" the high school campus. The students also had dead fish, which they planned to wrap into the plastic.

A little after midnight, Tampa police responded with a show of force — nearly a dozen officers and a helicopter.

Police detained sixteen Plant High students until parents came to retrieve them. The students likely won't be punished because there was no damage to the school, said Linda Cobbe, the Hillsborough school district spokeswoman. The students did not actually go inside the school.

Nestor said Pinellas County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to the incident as if it were a felony burglary in progress.

Something bad could have happened.

A deputy could have been struck as he or she was responding to the call, a dog could have bitten one of the kids, or deputies may have been prevented from responding to a more urgent crime.

"It's like pulling the fire alarm when their's no fire," he said.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Stupid is as stupid does. I hope they receive serious consequences of their actions.

 

[LuvOrlando]

Oiyehomeschooling is looking more attractive by the day

 

[trip]

Stupid is as stupid does. I hope they receive serious consequences of their actions.

Yes, they were stupid. But, I hope they don't get in serious trouble. They weren't putting glue in keyholes, spray painting hallways, or smashing computers. They were just being stupid when they thought they were being clever.

 

[simba20]

"The students also had dead fish, which they planned to wrap into the plastic."

This is what the seniors did for their senior priank my junior year of high school. They placed dead fish, bait fish, fish guts in the A/C units of two of the wings at my high school.

We had class outside the final week of school.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Yes, they were stupid. But, I hope they don't get in serious trouble. They weren't putting glue in keyholes, spray painting hallways, or smashing computers. They were just being stupid when they thought they were being clever.

They should be punished severely.

This could have ended badly with a poor decision on either parties part with someone getting killed.

 

[mickeyboat]

I don't think the police response was overreacting. They didn't know what they were getting in to. I also don't think the arrests were overreacting. They were suspected of committing a crime.

I do think that prosecuting is probably overreacting. They are kids who were pulling harmless pranks. They have probably learned their lessons.

 

[FredinFL]

I guess they got what they deserved, at least they didn't charge them with a felony, which they could have.

 

[luvmy3]

Prank or not, they broke the law and got caught. That equals arrests.

 

[Mandychelle79]

which is why when we did our sr prank it was during school hours when underclassmen were still in school

 

[golfgal]

I think "appropriate" senior pranks are a right of passage however, once you break into a building, key or not, that changes things. A couple more favorable "pranks" I have witnessed was my cousin's class back in the 70's managed to get a VW Bug on to the roof of the school. Even the principal had a good laugh over that one. Several years later, same school, kids took real estate signs from all over town and stuck them in the yard at the school. It was pretty funny-they even put a note on each sign so they could return them to the proper home after the newspaper took pictures.

Not so funny, my high school was demolished by some jerks that broke into the school one night. They smashed up computers (keeping in mind that computers were rare back then), destroyed classrooms, turned on fire hoses, etc. It took a YEAR to repair the school. 3 of the 4 kids' parent bailed them out of jail and pulled the "my son would never..." the 4th kid's parents left him in jail and let him face the consequences of being so stupid.

 

[snowy76]

Deputies said the teenagers, most of whom are students at Osceola, planned to line the schools' hallways with 4,000 styrofoam cups filled with water. Deputies said they entered the school with a key.

I say good for police.

At DS's high school (about 1200 kids in it total) the prank a few years ago was the seniors brought water bottles, water balloons and super soakers to school. Some had water, others had ink or dye in them. After first period, the school had to go on lockdown because the halls were so slippery they were afraid of someone getting hurt.

One of the offending students got caught in the act and tried to run - he slipped and knocked a custodian down (he actually slid into him since the hallway was sloped, and swept him right off his feet). Custodian's arm was broken and the kids couldn't leave their rooms for three hours until the halls were cleaned - can you imagine one custodian out of commission, and trying to make it safe enough to get the kids out? Not just a little prank.

Scary enough that a student had after-hours access to the building. That alone should warrant charges. Heck, you can't even get into our building with a key - you need a fob and those only grant access at certain times. We had a school around here where the kids got in and hacked into student records. They were charged with felonies.

 

[hereyago]

When I was in high school-in the 80's we had a couple days of someone spraying skunk spray into the duct system. they were never caught, but we had to leave school early because it was making people want to be sick.

 

[Jennasis]

I kind of miss the innocence of a good Senior prank. But if a law is broken (trespassing etc) then they should deal with the consequences.

My cousin wore a superman shirt under his gown at graduation and planned to tear open his gown after being handed his diploma (like Clark Kent). A teacher managed to wind of it and came down on him like an anvil. Threatened to have him arrested, lose his diploma etc. It was so over-the-top. He was just having a little fun and at NOBODY's expense.

Same graduation, the principal FREAKED when the Dominos delivery guy showed up with 10 pizzas and tried to deliver them to the graduating class as they sat in their caps and gowns. He was escorted away by police.

That school is a big wet blanket.

 

[bellebud]

as much as I do see how they were just trying to pull a 'harmless' prank, it's a totally different world today than 20 or 30 years ago, and 'pranks' were handled differently back then, and these kids knew they would get in "trouble" if caught. So I don't think it's an overreaction at all to arrest them. They knew it going in.

 

[BuffettFan]

Personally I hope they dont get into serious trouble... We as a society have gotten too uptight about just about everything. Back when I was in high school (granted it was 20 yrs ago)Senior pranks were the norm, with each class trying to "outdo" the class before.... I remember greased pigs and chickens being released in the hallways, even a COW once!! a prominent town statue was found on the roof on the school one morning...stink bombs, smoke bombs....annoying? yes. But everyone was able to keep some sense of humor.
This wasnt destructive....and no one got hurt. Not sure how the 4000 cups would actually be funny...but Im sure theres some story behind it.
Should they get a free pass ? Absolutely not. But being arrested is a bit much. Maybe since they seem to like styrofoam they should spend a weekend or two cleaning up the sides of the highway. But being arrested, and having misdemeanors on their record seems like an overreaction

 

[sam_gordon]

Have the kids do some community service (20 hours?) and if they have no more issues in the next year, wipe it from the records.

 

[bellebud]

Have the kids do some community service (20 hours?) and if they have no more issues in the next year, wipe it from the records.

I think that's a great idea. I am glad they got arrested, to scare them. I don't really want to see them have a 'record' over this.

 

[Shutterbug]

okay there are some things missing from the story.

Who reported the students and what was reported to the police that made them decide to show up in such ridiculous force? Seriously a helicopter? Why not send a few squad cars to investigate before going straight into full on riot mode?

Sounds to me like a school official got wind of it and contacted police or someone got overzealous in what was reported

Yeah they got caught and will have to own up to the actions and I agree with that. Its the whole "show of force" attitude that is over the top.

 

[merryweather20]

The police lost my support when they responded with a helicopter (What?). When we graduated we all brought our horses to school and built a huge teepee on the front lawn. This sounds even more tame. My word! Cups with water in them! What is the world coming to!