OCALA, Fla. – A Marion County School Resource Officer was battered by a man trespassing at Forest High School with two others Thursday, deputies said.
School resource Deputy James Long was told that several people who were not students of Forest High School had entered the campus without signing in, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office said.
Kasey Kohlmaier, 19, Thomas Smith, 19, and a 14-year-old were confronted by school administrators when they were in the school’s courtyard, deputies said. The three then fled to their car, which had been parked in the student parking lot, deputies said.
Deputy Long pulled his car in front of the suspects’ vehicle to prevent them from leaving the campus before Kohlmaier, who was a passenger in the suspects’ car, fled on foot, Marion County deputies said. After Kohlmaier punched Deputy Long in the face, causing his nose to bleed, Deputy Long was able to secure Kohlmaier until other deputies arrived to assist, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Kohlmaier and Smith are both on felony probation for six counts of burglary and are not supposed to contact one another as a condition of their probation, deputies said. The juvenile was arrested on two misdemeanor counts.
The Marion County School Board and the Sheriff’s Office reminded the community that it is Marion County School District policy, as well as state law, that people must sign in with school administrators before entering a school campus, and that any trespassers will be apprehended and arrested in an effort to keep students safe.