A 15-year-old Madison West High School student was caught with a BB gun while riding a Madison Metro bus late Friday afternoon.
Madison Police Department officers arrested the student for illegally possessing a BB gun as a minor, disorderly conduct while armed and possession of a weapon on school grounds, according to police reports.
While the student was boarding a bus in the College Court and Park Street area, a citizen saw him attempting to conceal the gun. Officers located the bus and stopped it at Rusk Street and Rimrock Road, where they were able to find the suspect. Lt. Carl Strasburg said no one was injured in the incident.
According to the student, he brought the BB gun to Madison West High School that day because he was concerned there were gang members at school.
The officers took the suspect to the Juvenile Reception Center at the Dane County Courthouse.
Sergeant Rachel Peterson of the MPD said the department does not often deal with armed passengers on the Madison Metro buses.
“As far as the officers’ point of view, it was a very tactical call for us because it was a moving target: trying to stop a bus in rush hour,” Peterson said.
Strasburg said police often respond to different problems that can occur with the public transportation system. Because the Madison Metro bus system is a form of public transportation, it is not unusual for the police department to receive calls for help, Strasburg added.
According to Peterson, the police department is always willing to help the Madison Metro bus system with any unruly passengers that need to be removed from the bus. Although it is not common for passengers to be armed, it is common for juveniles to act up on the buses, Peterson added. The bus driver must then make a decision to pull over and then ask the police department for assistance.
According to the Dane County Juvenile Annual Report, 11 percent of the crimes committed by minors in 2003 involved weapons while 31 percent affected public health and safety. Almost 70 percent of the suspects involved in crimes against public health and safety were charged with disorderly conduct.
