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GREENSBORO — A senior at Northeast Guilford High School was shocked with a Taser by the school resource officer Wednesday morning.

Jonathan Richardson, 18, of 4614 Mallard Creek Drive was taken to the Guilford County jail in Greensboro. He faces four charges, all misdemeanors.

The incident was the first time that a sheriff's deputy has used a stun gun inside a public school since the Guilford County Sheriff's Office issued them to school resource officers nearly two years ago.

Col. Randy Powers of the sheriff's office said the standard for deploying a Taser in a school is no different than any other public situation.

"We use the same standard and the same judgment that we would when we use a Taser anywhere, with anyone," Powers said.

The sheriff's office policy states that a Taser "is to be used as a way of averting a potentially injurious or dangerous situation, and controlling a dangerous subject without unnecessary danger to the public, subject or responding officers."

Capt. Phil Byrd of the sheriff's office said school resource officers from Northeast middle and high schools saw four high school students acting suspiciously in the school's parking lot at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday.

The deputies brought the students into the resource officer's office at the high school.

The sheriff's office said three of the students complied with the deputies' request to pat them down for weapons.

Richardson resisted and stuck a hand in his pocket, the sheriff's office said. According to the arrest warrant, Richardson swung at Deputy C.T. Sluder, pulled away and grabbed the deputy's arm.

Sluder then shocked the student with the Taser. Emergency personnel responded to the school and removed the Taser probes. Richardson suffered no known injuries, the sheriff's office said.

The other students were not injured, but Sluder received a bruise on his right arm.

The sheriff's office said deputies found a box cutter and marijuana on Richardson.

Richardson faces charges of assault on a law enforcement officer, possession of marijuana, obstruction/delay of a law enforcement officer and possession of a weapon on school property.

He was released on a $2,500 bond Wednesday.

A message left at his home was not returned Wednesday.

The other three students will not be charged, Byrd said.

Deputies can use a stun gun or pepper spray to gain control of a potentially dangerous situation, Byrd said.

In this case, he said, it was impractical for the deputy to use pepper spray in his cramped, enclosed office.

"Pepper spray would have gotten everyone in the room," Byrd said. "That wasn't a good option."

On Wednesday afternoon, some Northeast students said they agreed with the deputy's decision given the situation.

"You never know with kids. Somebody reaching in their pocket — you have to protect yourself," said senior Daner White, 17 .

Travis Motsinger , another senior, said students had been told Wednesday morning not to hang out in the parking lot because of a fight on Tuesday.

Staff writer Joe Killian contributed to this report.

Contact John Newsom at 373-7312 or john.newsom@news-record.com

Contact Ryan Seals at 373-7077 or ryan.seals@news-record.com