Schools
School Law Enforcement Officer Gone After Ridgeview Gun Incident
An investigation found that Adelene Long, the schools resource officer, failed to adequately supervise the incident when she was notified a student may be in possession of a gun on Aug. 26.
Adelene Long, the Fulton Schools resource officer on duty, Aug. 26, when a seventh grade student at Ridgeview Charter School was in possession of a loaded 9mm gun, is no longer with the school system because protocol was not followed.
Long told Channel 2 news that she was forced to resign or be fired. An Aug. 30 investigation found that she failed to adequately supervise the incident when she was notified a student may be in possession of a gun. Assistant principal, Kenneth Young removed the gun from the student
The seventh-grader was arrested and is in the Fulton County judicial system.
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In a recorded Fulton Schools investigation, Long said the following:
"It was Monday afternoon, approximately 1230. I was on lunch duty, and Mr. Young the sixth administrator came to just inform me that a student said that another student may possibly have a weapon; that they’ve been hearing that they have a weapon on their person. But at that time it was unclear what kind of weapon it was, so on reasonable suspicion he said he was going to pull the student and take him o the front office.At that time I contacted my Lt. Fuller and advised him that there may be a possible weapon in the building and I’ll find out more information but the administrators are going to conduct the search I’m going standby in a close location, you know, to assist if needed."
According to the report, Young pulled the student out of class and sought the assistance of an eighth grade counselor to help in the physical search of weapon. During the search, they had the student empty his pockets and when he did so the gun slid down his pant leg, the report said.
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According to the report the weapon was placed in the counselor's desk drawer. Young contacted Long to tell her of the chain of events and she retrieved the gun.
The summary of the investigation report said that Long believed she needed probable cause to search the student. In the report, her supervisor Lt. Julius C. Fuller said that school police is responsible for the search when there is reasonable suspicion and school administration should supervise or assist if possible.
Young told Fulton School investigators that he initially thought that Long was going along with him to search the student. When she did not he completed the search, the report said.
See also:
Fallout From Ridgeview Gun Leads to Public Meeting and Police Officer Resignation
Sandy Springs Gangs Specialist Assisting in Ridgeview Investigation
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