BREWER – A 13-year-old Brewer Middle School pupil will be charged, likely with criminal threatening, after it was reported he made verbal threats at his school Thursday.

The youth was taken to the principal’s office and later escorted off the premises and taken home by police, said Lester Young, business manager for the Brewer School Department. Young is handling school matters while the superintendent is away this week. The boy’s backpack and locker also were searched as a precaution to make sure he didn’t have anything improper, Young said.

Brewer police Sgt. Dave Clewley would say little about the incident, referring matters to Capt. Danny Green who was not available late Friday afternoon. Clewley did acknowledge that charges will be filed against the boy. He said the incident arose when the boy became angry at his teacher.

He would not comment about what was said and Young said he didn’t know what was said, but that the incident never became physical.

A school assembly was held Friday to let pupils know what had happened and also to urge them to use caution and sensibility in what they say.

Young said the school department has to take these threats seriously, in light of incidents elsewhere in the country that have ended with more deadly consequences.

“We have to react to it very strongly now,” Young said.

The incident at the middle school comes at a time when both police and school department officials have been working closer together. Each school has been adopted by one or more police officers who visit their school and interact with the pupils as well as serve as a resource for the schools. The high school has a liaison officer.

It’s paid off, Young and others have noted.

“Normally there’s not a lot of incidents requiring police involvement,” Young said.