OVERLAND — A 16-year-old boy at an alternative school, Husky Academy, was arrested Wednesday after authorities found him with a gun.
The boy told a school resource officer that he needed it for protection, said Overland police Capt. Jim Morgan. The gun had been stolen, Morgan said.
The academy is at 9229 Lackland Road. It is part of the Ritenour School District.
Morgan said the boy was taken to juvenile court, where he was charged with unlawful use of a weapon.
School officials found out about the gun because a student attending Ritenour High School told Ritenour administrators Wednesday morning that a student at Husky Academy had one. They relayed the information to Husky school staff, and the gun was found after searching the student, according to a letter Ritenour District Superintendent Chris Kilbride sent parents and staff.
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A school resource officer who works for the Breckenridge Hills Police Department took the boy into custody, said Breckenridge Hills Police Chief Scott Robinson. The boy was then turned over to Overland police because the school is in Overland.
Police said the boy had been involved in a dispute at Ritenour High School before transferring to Husky Academy. The  describes Husky Academy as a school that serves at-risk children in grades 5-12 in a non-traditional setting. The school is next to the Overland Community Center.
Kilbride commended the Ritenour student who shared the information, and the staff and police for taking quick action.