Clearwater middle school student arrested after bringing knife to school over argument

CLEARWATER, Fla. - A sixth grader in Clearwater was arrested on Tuesday after police said he brought a knife to school over a confrontation with another student. 

According to the Clearwater Police Department, a 12-year-old at Oak Grove Middle School faces two criminal charges after bringing a knife to school.

READ: Relief in sight for some Tampa Bay area renters, but may not last

Police said he was mad that another student slapped him at the bus stop that morning and ran home to grab an 8-inch kitchen knife. 

After returning to the bus stop, he then told the student to touch him again and pulled up his shirt to display the knife. According to CPD, he then got onto the bus and went to school where another student told school officials about the knife.

The 12-year-old student was charged with possession of a weapon on school property, which is a felony, and exhibition of a dangerous weapon, a misdemeanor. He was booked into the Pinellas Juvenile Assessment Center on Tuesday.

"Thankfully, a student saw something and said something," said Police Chief Eric Gandy. "That's what we always try to teach people, and this student absolutely did the right thing by telling someone at school. We were able to avert potential further issues once we became aware of the situation."