By Shavonne Walker

shavonne.walker@salisburypost.com

MOUNT ULLA — A teenager walked nearly six miles to school to confront a teacher who had told his grandmother that he was not completing school assignments, Rowan County authorities said.

He has been charged with damaging school property and other offenses.

The Rowan County Sheriff’s Office charged 16-year-old Justin Lee Livengood, of the 1200 block of Kepley Road, with second-degree trespassing, injury to real property and resisting, obstructing or delaying an officer, all of which are misdemeanor offenses.

According to a report, the incident occurred about 3:10 p.m. Thursday near the end of the school day at West Rowan High School. Officials say Livengood arrived at the school after having walked from his Kepley Road home in order to confront teacher Robert Blake.

A school resource officer was told that Livengood, who was not supposed to be on campus, was at the school being unruly and destroying property. A report said Livengood yelled expletives at the officer about the school and the teacher. The deputy tried to calm the teen to find out what he was upset about, said Capt. John Sifford of the Sheriff’s Office.

According to the report, the teen refused to go into an office to talk and the deputy had to chase him. The deputy tried to strike him with a Taser, but it did not make contact.

Livengood eventually complied and apologized for his behavior, the report said.

The deputy learned that the teacher had told Livengood’s grandmother that he was not completing his school assignments, and that made the teen angry.

Livengood never made contact with Blake. He told the deputy he didn’t care if he was arrested.

Authorities say the boy’s father arrived at the school and said he understood that the teacher had been trying to get his son to do his school work.

Livengood was placed in the Rowan County Detention Center with no bond but is under a custody release, meaning he can be released to a parent’s custody.

He is accused of causing $300 worth of damage to a glass door that was broken and $200 worth of damage to a table that was destroyed.

Authorities say Justin Livengood is not related to Austin Livengood, who was charged on the same day at West Rowan High in an unrelated incident.

Contact reporter Shavonne Walker at 704-797-4253.