An 18-year-old Newport man was arrested and booked into the Pend Oreille County Jail for possessing a dangerous weapon on school facilities during a football game Friday night.
Deputies report that at around 7:30 p.m. on Friday, an off-duty Pend Oreille County Sheriff's Deputy in plain clothes was approached by school staff and told that they believed there was a young man at the game armed with a gun in his waistband.
The deputy contacted dispatch and backup arrived. Newport Superintendent Dave Smith pointed out the teenager to responding deputies, and the 18-year-old identified as Jonathon D.J. Hodge was detained without incident.
The investigation revealed Hodge was carrying an air soft gun that was a realistic-looking replica of a 1911 .45 caliber pistol, along with extra pellets and a spare CO2 cartridge. Hodge had reportedly asked if there was going to be security at the game and later told deputies that he knew he was not supposed to bring the gun to school. He told deputies that he thought if something happened he might be able to stop an attack.
The sheriff's office thanks the students and staff of the Newport School District for their quick actions and appropriate response to the incident.
(story: Matt Pusatory, KHQ Local News Web Producer, KHQ.com; photo: Pend Oreille County Sheriff's Office)