Wake elementary school gets armed deputy after trespassing and violent social media posts

The Wake County school system has placed an armed law enforcement officer at a Wake Forest elementary school because of parental fears about a man who has posted violent Facebook messages and who has repeatedly trespassed on campus.

The school system is paying an off-duty Wake County sheriff's deputy to be at Jones Dairy Elementary School during school hours, something that is unusual for an elementary school. This comes after Jones Dairy was placed on lockdown last week following the latest trespassing incident involving a man who lives next to the year-round school.

"As you know, it has been a difficult few days for our school community as we continue to do everything in our power to ensure student safety," Robert Bendel, the school's principal, told parents in an email message Wednesday.

The school system has taken out a trespassing order against Arthur Kochetkov, 33, of Wake Forest. Bendel told parents that Kochetkov is "currently in custody."

Trespassing on campus has been a perennial problem with Kochetkov, according to Lisa Luten, a Wake County schools spokeswoman.

Parents have raised concerns about some of Kochetkov's Facebook posts, including one from May 2017 where he showed pictures of nail guns and pipe bombs. He also posted a copy of a 2014 arrest warrant where he was accused of assaulting a Youngsville police officer who was trying to stop him from hitting his head against the patrol car window.

"Also you should know that I am deemed psychologically unstable, PTSD'd, and with a Reactive SEvere Schizoaffective Disorder according to the Federal Government. So be sure you send all the troops you got," Kochetkov, a military veteran, says in a Facebook post.

Luten said Wake is aware of Kochetkov's Facebook posts.

Parents have created an online petition calling on the school district to place two armed law enforcement officers on campus during school hours and to erect a perimeter fence around school property.

Luten said that Bendel and the school's PTA are studying the fencing proposal.

The school district began paying this week for the armed off-duty deputy to be at Jones Dairy because the Wake Forest Police Department and Wake County Sheriff's Office said they didn't have the resources to place an officer on the campus.

Luten said that the off-duty officer was placed at the school to reassure parents. No Wake County elementary school has a full-time law enforcement assigned to the campus. Armed officers are at high schools and middle schools.

Concerns about school safety have ramped up in recent months after several school shootings across the nation.

This story was originally published June 21, 2018 at 4:28 PM with the headline "Wake elementary school gets armed deputy after trespassing and violent social media posts."