911 calls uncovered after claims of parent pulling gun outside Deer Park Elementary
DEER PARK, Texas (KTRK) -- Eyewitness News has obtained 911 calls from a heated exchange between two mothers outside a school.
The fight happened last Thursday morning in the drop-off line at Deer Park Elementary. The school's principal said the confrontation escalated and ended with one parent pointing a firearm at the other.
Audio recordings reveal both parents called police after the altercation. They both blamed each other's driving behavior for the situation. The calls showed one woman was driving a maroon Explorer. The other mother was driving a white Durango.
RELATED: Mom pulls gun on another mom in school drop-off line
"Yes, ma'am. I need to report a lady. She almost hit me twice in a school zone. She cut me off and she turned into my school," the Durango driver told the 911 operator.
"I go around her to go into the school and she completely freaks out on me," the other mother told her 911 operator. "Comes up to my windows, starts hitting my window because she said I cut her off."
That mother, who drove the Explorer, said she carried a gun in her car for safety. She said her hand was on the weapon, but denied ever pointing it at the second mother.
Deer Park police officers investigated the mothers' claims.
Police did not file any charges in the case.
Last week, the school sent this letter to parents:
Dear Parent/Guardian,
I'm writing to inform you of an incident involving two parents that took place in the drop-off lane at Deer Park Elementary this morning. As students were being dropped off before school this morning, the two parents were involved in a disagreement. The confrontation escalated, ending with one parent pointing a firearm at the other. Other parents witnessed the disagreement, and the police were contacted and quickly arrived on the scene.
Unfortunately, children were in both of the vehicles involved, and students were present in other nearby vehicles as well. No one was injured in the incident. In fact, the weapon was never used. But what should have been a reasonably safe drop-off process quickly became a police investigation.
At our school, teaching students the skills and knowledge they need to be successful in life is our goal and purpose. But we don't just teach language arts or science or mathematics or fine arts. We also teach children the appropriate way to resolve conflicts. It's not unusual for there to be disagreements between students at our school, but we always encourage children to seek a peaceful end to the conflict.
At one time or another, we've all experienced frustration while driving. But, as our students know all too well, it's never a good idea to react when emotions are high. My hope is that we can all look at what happened this morning and reconsider how we deal with disagreements and anger in our lives. Conflicts such as the one that took place this morning have no place at our school. Keeping our schools safe for our children and community is our highest priority, but we can't do it alone. It takes all of us being aware of our surroundings, reporting suspicious activities, and using good judgment and restraint when disagreements arise.
Staff members are trained through the Crisis Prevention Institute, giving them the ability to intervene using specific techniques to de-escalate a crisis situation. In this way, we are able to assure the Care, Welfare, Safety and Security for all students and staff at our school. I have included a crisis prevention resource at the link below.
In closing, I want to thank you in advance for doing your part to keep Deer Park Elementary a place where our students feel safe and secure.
Sincerely,
Lisa McLaughlin
Principal, Deer Park Elementary
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