Police remove Fulton student after alleged threat

Tyra Pope
Tyra Pope

Fulton police removed a student from Fulton High School on Wednesday and charged her with a felony after she was reported to have made a terroristic threat.

Fulton school district spokesperson Karen Snethen said all students and staff are safe and continued the school day after the incident.

The arrested student was Tyra Pope, 17, of Fulton, who is considered to be an adult and charged as an adult, according to Maj. Roger Rice of the Fulton Police Department.

"I took the call about 12:30 (p.m.) from Chris Mincher, the principal," Rice said. "He said a female student stood up in a classroom and made an inappropriate statement in front of the kids. She said something about not coming to school tomorrow."

An investigator went to the high school and brought Pope to the police department for questioning - then to jail.

Pope was charged with a Class D felony charge of making a terroristic threat, a charge which is levied because it was made to 10 or more people, Rice said.

"There were 18 people in the class," he said. "That makes it a felony."

Pope was being held Wednesday on a $4,500 bond.

On March 1, a 15-year-old Fulton boy was detained then transported to juvenile detention services after a report of a threat was made against a Jefferson City High School student. His name was not released, as he is a minor. The youth was taken into custody at Fulton High School; no weapon was found there.

Police also determined the Fulton youth was assisted in carrying out the threat by another 15-year-old boy, and both were charged with non-felony "making terroristic threats" and disturbing the peace. Rice said the lesser charge was levied because the threat was made to only one person.

Fulton school Superintendent Jacque Cowherd praised the prompt work of his staff and local police Wednesday.

"I think in both cases, whether it was last week or today, school administrators took quick action to isolate the student, and Fulton police responded very promptly to removing the offending student," he said.