Tecumseh Police Department investigating potential threat of violence at Tecumseh High School

As of Monday morning, Sept. 15, the Tecumseh Public Schools has handed over all their information regarding the threat of violence against teachers and staff to the Tecumseh Police Department, who are continuing the investigation. Below is the email Supt. Kelly Coffin sent to staff on Friday afternoon, Sept. 12. Also below is the press release from Tecumseh Police Department that was sent to The Tecumseh Herald on Friday.Email sent to TPS staff September 12, at 4:39 p.m. from Supt. Kelly Coffin —Good Afternoon,Over the past day and a half, Tecumseh High School has been working with staff members, administration and community members to investigate concerns brought forth to administration. On Thursday morning, the Assistant Principal received an "anonymous" call. The caller shared concerns regarding a particular student at the high school who was planning to do something to hurt staff and students. The caller did not think that anything was planned for this particular day (9/11), but the caller just wanted the school to know due to the significance of the date. Another anonymous call came in a short time later, sharing a similar concern. The High School was placed on a "soft" lock down and police were called.The High School administrators worked all morning to piece together information they had received and were able to identify the students that the two callers referenced. They spent the afternoon working in conjunction with Tecumseh Police Department to investigate the situation. Additional evidence was provided to administration which in turn was passed on to the Tecumseh Police Department.In summary, this incident includes two High School students who are hurting and need significant help--much more than the school can provide. While we cannot share all of the specific details, please know that the HS staff worked very hard to ensure the safety of ALL students and staff. As an example, a custodian at the High School noticed one of the students had been acting "a bit odd" lately and the Administration followed up on that gut feeling. Because of caring, involved staff members, and the relationships we have with our students, this plan was never carried out.This matter has now been turned over to law enforcement. Please understand that specific details cannot be shared at this time. You most likely will hear about this incident or read about it in the local newspaper. We wanted to make sure that you had information prior to this being released to the media outlets.Finally, I cannot thank everyone enough for ALL you do for our students. Each day we work diligently to keep students safe. It was a responsive adult who noticed something "not quite right" that impacted each and every person at the high school. Thank you again for all you do.KellyKelly M. Coffin Ed. D.Superintendent, Tecumseh Public Schools~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~Tecumseh Police Department Press Release sent September 12, at 7:23 p.m. —Tecumseh Police DepartmentPress Release-For Immediate ReleaseOn 09/12/2014, the Tecumseh Public Schools turned over an internal investigation to the Tecumseh Police Department outlining a potential threat of violence upon school staff and students. The Tecumseh Police Department opened an investigation and immediately contacted the Lenawee County Prosecutors Office in regards to the matter.The Lenawee County Prosecutor’s office verbally authorized a juvenile pick up order for a 16 year old Tecumseh High School student. The juvenile was picked up at his residence by the Tecumseh Police Department without incident.In addition to the juvenile pick up order the Lenawee County Prosecutor’s office authorized a search warrant for the juvenile’s residence in order to secure any evidence in regards to this alleged threat. The Tecumseh Police cannot comment at this time as to what if anything was located in the search of the residence.This investigation in on-going however the Tecumseh Police Department wishes to assure everyone that there is no credible threat of violence towards Tecumseh High School administrators, teachers or students.Respectfully Submitted,Troy A. SternChief of Police