Feb. 16—Two separate incidents Wednesday at Austin Junior High School resulted in three students being arrested, including one who had a loaded handgun, according to Decatur City Schools officials.

The first incident, at about 1 p.m., involved a fight between two students who were in in-school suspension.

"The school staff and administration were unable to separate them and the school resource officer responded," said Deputy Superintendent Dwight Satterfield in a video statement. "He had difficulty separating the two students and one of the students was tased."

Satterfield said both students were arrested by the SRO, who is a Decatur police officer, on charges of disorderly conduct.

In what Satterfield said is believed to be an unrelated incident, school administrators received a report shortly before 3 p.m. that a student in the school had a gun. A school resource officer and the assistant principal went to the student's classroom.

"They found a loaded 9mm weapon in possession of that student," Satterfield said. "The student was immediately arrested by the school resource officer and transported from campus."

Decatur police said in a statement later Wednesday that the student was charged with certain persons prohibited to possess a firearm and transported to the Juvenile Detention Center in Tuscumbia.

A separate statement from Decatur City Schools said the student was in possession of a 9mm Glock, and that "there was no direct threat reported" other than the gun being in the student's possession.

Satterfield said when school returns to session on Friday — Decatur City Schools is having exclusively virtual instruction today — the Austin Junior campus will be on heightened alert and will have an increased police presence.

"There is no indication at all that the two incidents were related," Satterfield said.

Austin Junior High serves students in the eighth and ninth grades.

— eric@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2435. Twitter @DD_Fleischauer.