5-year-old found with knife at St. Paul school

Last update: March 17, 2008 - 10:22 PM

A 5-year-old boy brought a knife to school Friday, allegedly to threaten a gym teacher at Bruce Vento Elementary School in St. Paul, police and school officials said.

The boy got the ordinary kitchen knife from the family's kitchen, said police spokesman Tom Walsh. The boy never brandished the knife or threatened anyone with it, Walsh said.

By law, no child younger than 10 can be prosecuted for a crime. The boy was referred to the Ramsey County ACE (All Children Excel) program, which works with children who "engage in behavior that would otherwise be characterized as criminal," Walsh said.

The knife was discovered after another student told a teacher about it, said Howie Padilla, a spokesman for the St. Paul schools.

"We have a student who made a real bad decision and brought a knife to school," Padilla said. "There also is a student who made a real good decision and told us about it."

While the St. Paul schools' policy calls for immediate suspension after such an incident, the school also is looking into ways to help the child, Padilla said.

PAT PHEIFER