Juvenile Arrested For Bringing Metal Cards To School

An unusual arrest at Fountain Middle School. A 13-year-old boy behind bars because of metal playing cards that he brought to class.

Beau Burnett thinks of metal cards, called throwing cards, as a novelty. To him , they are toys that he picked up for his son, Zachary. “I would say it’s a toy,” said Burnett.

But when Zachary brought the supposed toy cards to school, Fountain Middle School took the boy having the cards as a serious offense. The Fountain Police Department was called and 13-year-old Zachary was arrested.

“Anything that would be considered as a weapon on school campuses is prohibited,” said Lt. Mike Hutchinson of the Fountain Police Department.

Someone can buy throwing cards at the same place that they buy throwing stars. Both have sharp edges, and are therefore considered weapons by the police when taken onto school grounds. “Anything sharpened with the attempt to do some sort of injury is a weapon. In this case, yes it was a weapon,” said Lt. Hutchinson.

Zachary was arrested and charged with possession of a dangerous weapon on school property. “He doesn’t consider it as a weapon. He wasn’t bringing it to school to threaten anyone. He was bringing it to school to sell it to his friends,” said Burnett of his son.

The police disagree with Burnett. “The intended purpose of the manufacturer is to make it like a throwing star. It is a sharpened weapon which can injure or cause damage. Like carrying a knife,” said Lt. Hutchinson.

Now, Zachary is in jail, facing a 10 day suspension at school, and a future that includes a criminal record. “That was sickening, because my son is not a felon. He was in tears when he got arrested,” said Burnett.

The Burnetts say Zachary could spend as much as 5 days at a juvenile detention center as he goes through the court process.

School District 8 says it gives parents a manual every year to spell out what things are not allowed in school. They say it is something parents need to read.