Violent 18-year-old MH youth taken into custody after
threatening to kill three Central High students
Morgan Hill Police officers were able to prevent a Morgan Hill teen from carrying out what could have been a deadly threat last week, thanks to the perseverance of a School Resource Officer.
MHPD Officer Erin McNish, who serves as resource officer for Live Oak High and Central High, acted on information Dec. 9 and called for officers to take Patrick Brady, 18, into custody before he acted on his threat to shoot three Central High students.
“This is the ultimate, the epitome of what you want in a School Resource Officer,” MHPD Lt. Joe Sampson said Thursday. “You have someone the school administration can trust, can come to them with situations that may or may not be serious, and someone who digs for more information until enough is available to make a decision and then acts on it … Officer McNish prevented what could have been a tragedy.”
Last week, Sampson said, Brady began threatening the Central High students – a 17-year-old male, a 16-year-old female and a 17-year-old female. Brady apparently believed the male was interested in and flirting with his girlfriend, one of the female juveniles. The other female is the friend of the girlfriend. Brady allegedly began making threats to the juveniles, and the threats escalated as the week went on.
Early in the week, Sampson said, Brady had gone to the Central campus and punched another male in the face before driving away. He apparently believed this male was also interested in his girlfriend.
Central High Principal Irene Macias-Morriss contacted McNish about the threats and after the students reported Brady said he planned to show up on campus on Dec. 9, “with the heat,” and kill them.
MHPD officers arrived at Brady’s residence on Dunne Avenue on Dec. 9 and found a loaded .22 rifle ready in the living room. Brady then fought with officers as they arrested him, threatening to kill the officers. Once inside a patrol car, Sampson said, Brady continued to struggle, shattering windows of the car and bending the frame of the car as he kicked violently.
Brady was booked into county jail on charges of resisting arrest, child abuse, vandalism and making threats to a public official.
Marilyn Dubil covers education and law enforcement for The Times. She can be reached by e-mail at md****@*************es.com or phoning (408) 779-4106
