Kansas middle school teacher arrested after scuffle with police as they seize his phone
A Salina school teacher was arrested after getting into a scuffle Monday with police who were conducting a search warrant to seize his cell phone, police said.
Ryan Brungardt is listed as a seventh-grade social studies teacher at Lakewood Middle School on the Salina School District’s website.
Detectives from the Newton Police Department, with help from the Salina Police Department, approached Brungardt at the middle school. They were there to take his cell phone in connection with a search warrant from Harvey County, Salina police Cpt. James Feldman said in a news release.
Feldman said Newton police have an active investigation into Brungardt, who lives in Salina. The nature of the investigation is unknown.
Detectives grabbed the cell phone from Brungardt and spoke with him when he ripped the phone from detectives and began breaking it. A struggle happened when Brungardt resisted police, the release said.
The phone’s lithium battery ruptured causing smoke and a small fire in an office of the school. Newton detectives used a taser on Brungardt as he continued to resist.
He was taken into custody and booked into the Saline County Jail on suspicion of one count of aggravated arson, one count of aggravated robbery, one count of felony interference with law enforcement and three counts of battery of a law enforcement officer.
Two Newton police detectives and one Salina police officer had minor injuries.
It is unclear what police were looking for in Brungardt’s cell phone.
The school was evacuated when the fire alarm went off. There was some damage to the floor of the school, Feldman said.