Professor assaulted in Village

Suspect kicks out squad car window in a display of violence and police de ance

Ayoung man was restrained after assaulting a Pierce College instructor in Village 8209 Monday morning.

The man’s identity has not been released due to the ongoing investigation, according to Larry Kraus, associate vice president of administrative services.

Adjunct English instructor Michael Schilf was teaching his 101 class when the suspect peeked his head into the room, according to Liliana Solano, 21, one of the students in the class. He was calling for someone and Schilf told him to stay outside, but he continued to disrupt the class, according to Solano. The situation escalated when Schilf had to forcibly prevent the suspect from entering the class, according to Solano.

“The kid was fighting against the teacher to come inside the classroom,” she said. “The guy was going ballistic, cursing at my teacher and threatening us.”

The struggle resulted in Schilf pinning the man to the floor, said Solano.

Campus authorities then came into the room and handcuffed the suspect as he resisted arrest, Solano said.

It took four officers to detain the individual, according to Beatriz Sanchez, 27, who had a class in the room next to Schilf’s.

After the suspect was placed in the back of the squad car, he repeatedly kicked at the window until it broke and shattered. He then stuck his head out of the window and began shouting at passers-by.

Sheriff’s Deputy Al Guerrero then forced him back into the vehicle. Officers drew out their Tasers as they verbally warned him to calm down.

After about 15 minutes in the back of the damaged squad car, the suspect was strapped to a stretcher by several personnel and placed in a nearby ambulance. He was then taken to a hospital, according to Kraus.

By this time, there were several emergency vehicles on the scene surrounding the Village. The entire incident lasted less than an hour.

During the incident, student Frankie Manes (@frankiemanes) tweeted: “It’s a mad house at Pierce right now. People are everywhere looking at what’s going down. Can’t believe I have to watch from in class”

The suspect, who does not attend Pierce, was trying to attack a student in Village 8209, according to Kraus.

“I think it was a girlfriend,” Kraus said.

“There was a restraining order against the suspect.”

The suspect threatened both Schilf and the student he was calling for with death and bodily harm, Kraus said.

“Police showed up as soon as possible,” Kraus said. “Fairly quickly.”

Complete details for the incident aren’t available yet.

“This is a very serious incident. We will be looking at it very carefully,” Kraus said. “It’s going to take a little time.”

It is not yet clear whether the suspect was charged with any crime.

“They might be just interrogating him because he appeared to be under the influence,” Security Officer Pedro Pineda said.

[Contributing: Calvin Alagot, Michaia Hernandez, Carlos Islas]

Heritage Days has attracted over 400 participants that take part in the recreation of the Battle of Gettysburg. This July marks the 150th anniversary of the Civil War battle.

Ed Mann, an organizer of event for Pierce and also participates, declined to comment. He told the Roundup in an email that he was asked to “stand down by the person at the Farm Center.”

Mann did, however, give a statement in an interview with ABC7.

“A lot of people are going suffer for it. Not just the re-enactors, but all the several thousand people that have come in the last three years,” he said. “This is the only event that would have taken place in the Los Angeles County, and now it’s gone down the drain.”

Robert Teague, a re-enactor, participated in all three Heritage Days at Pierce and thinks they are great.

[See RE-ENACTMENT, pg. 3]