TROUP COUNTY — Troup County Sheriff’s deputies responded to an incident at Long Cane Middle School in Troup County earlier this week, when it was reported that an unloaded handgun was recovered from a student at the school.

An incident report states that an investigation began on Monday, March 26, after School Resource Officer Deputy Phillip Johnson received a complaint of a student writing graffiti on walls in the bathroom.

Johnson identified the student, as a result he was brought to an administrator’s office for questioning on Wednesday.

The report states that, while under questioning, they asked the student for permission to look in his bag for any items related to the graffiti. At this point the student became guarded and moved to place his hands near it. Johnson tried to pull the bag away during a brief struggle in which an administrator helped detain the student, who was placed in handcuffs.

Searching the bag revealed the marker used to write on the walls and an unloaded black handgun.

The student was transported to the Troup County Sheriff’s office for processing, then moved to a regional youth detention center. He was charged with carrying weapons within school safety zones, possession of a stolen gun, and obstruction of an officer.

Sheriff James Woodruff said in the report he appreciated the hard work by Deputy Johnson in this case and that of each of his School Resource Officers for what they do each and every day working to keep schools safe.