Teacher Arrested for Firing Blanks at Students

A high school teacher in Virginia has been arrested for what appears to have been a bizarre attempt to get his class to pay attention. Police say Manuel Dillow, 60, lined up a dozen students from his welding class in front of a garage door, pulled a handgun from his waistband, and fired a gun loaded with blanks up to 10 times in their direction, the New York Daily News reports.

Dillow had borrowed the gun from another teacher who used it as an aid in criminal justice classes. He has been charged with 12 felony counts of brandishing a firearm and removed from teaching duties, but not fired. The county sheriff says the charges are the result of Dillow "inciting fear into the students," but some students and parents are standing by the teacher. "I support Mr. Dillow 100% and my son and I will be in the court room when he goes to support him," one parent says. (More teacher stories.)