Gun found in possession of FCity assistant coach during basketball game

A gun found in the backpack of a Forrest City junior high basketball coach during a recent game in West Memphis forced the remainder of that evening’s games to be cancelled. The incident occurred on Dec. 5, although the West Memphis Police Department did not file an incident report until Dec. 13. The coach is identified in the report as Kobe Wilson, 25, of Forrest City, who has not been charged in the incident. The Forrest City School District’s staff directory shows that Wilson is employed as a teacher at Central Elementary School. He apparently also works as an assistant junior high basketball coach. However, according to the Arkansas Department of Education website, Wilson does not have a license to teach nor a waiver on file that would allow him to teach without a license. Wilson’s mother, Sharon Wilson, is the FCSD’s federal programs coordinator, and his father is First Judicial District Division One Circuit Court Judge Dion Wilson. Forrest City was playing a junior high basketball game at West Memphis Wonder on Dec. 5 when the alleged incident occurred. According to the WMPD report, the first copy of which was released Friday by Arkansas1st.com, a police officer was working the basketball game when a verbal altercation occurred on the court between two players and escalated into pushing and shoving. During the fight, a student reportedly ran from the stands onto the court in an attempt to join in the fight. After the situation was under control, school administration told the police officer that the student needed to leave the premises “due to his actions.” The officer wrote in the report that as he walked up the steps to “inform the student” he noticed the “handle of a firearm protruding from a bag being handled by the Forrest City coach. He was pulling his hand out of the bag at the time.” In the report, the officer noted, “The suspect never removed the firearm from the bag or threatened anyone with it.” However, the officer said he approached Wilson and asked that he step outside with him. “Once outside, I explained what I had observed, emphasizing the safety of everyone inside the gym, especially considering the altercation and my observation of firearm handle in his bag,” the officer wrote in the report. “At that moment, there was uncertainty regarding any potential charges since the coach had not posed a threat to anyone and was not involved in the original altercation.” The officer said he discussed the situation with a principal, who “instructed that the coach should leave the property immediately, and so he was released and departed the scene.” “As a precaution, the last game was cancelled to ensure the safety of all players. Officers then escorted the Forrest City players safely,” according to the police report. Possession of a handgun on school property is a Class D felony, which is punishable by up to six years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. However, Wilson has not been charged for having a handgun on school property. The Times-Herald contacted the WMPD on Dec. 6, seeking information and asking for a copy of the police report regarding the incident. At that time, the newspaper was told by a police department employee, through a School Resource Officer, that there was “no report generated as of yet.” This newspaper also left several phone messages for WMPD Chief Robbin Campbell and West Memphis School District Superintendent Eric Foister for information on the situation, which have not been returned. The Times-Herald emailed a Freedom of Information request to the Arkansas Department of Education on Dec. 13, seeking copies of any reports filed with the agency regarding a gun incident in the WMSD on Dec. 5. On Dec. 18, the department responded that the ADE had no records on file in regard to that incident.

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