Parent arrested for pulling knife on student

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (WSVN) -- A family has been left shaken up after a young student said she was threatened by another student's parent while at school.

According to Miami Gardens Police, Debra Barnard the parent of another student at Hibiscus Elementary, took out a butcher knife and waved it at an 8-year-old. Now that parent is getting a tough lesson in the law.

Eight-year-old Shade Brown still cannot believe what happened to her. "Her mom took out the knife and pointed it at us and telling us 'come.'"

"She pulled a knife out, and she was telling my daughter and her auntie to come," said Anne Harrigan, Brown's mother. "When my daughter saw the knife, that's when she said, 'Mommy, I don't want her to kill me,' and she left me crying, and she ran back into the school."

Earlier this week police arrested Barnard. According to police, Barnard was upset with Brown, who, she thought, was in a disagreement with her daughter. So, Barnard came to the school, and it all unraveled from there.

Brown was picked up from school by her aunt, Chrystallia Herbert. "We went outside," said Herbert. "She was actually in someone's driveway, and she was basically on the phone. She got off her phone, and she was yelling and cursing."

Brown said Barnard got into her car and started driving erratically, and then allegedly pulled out a long kitchen knife. This is what police wrote in their report: "Barnard exited her vehicle and motioned for both victims to come to her, as she [Barnard], with the knife in her hand, continued to curse and threatened to do bodily harm ... the defendant was located at the school and when confronted with the allegation spontaneously uttered, 'Yeah, I did what the lady said. I don't have anything else to say.'"

This incident happened near the school but right off campus. The Miami-Dade school district released a statement saying, "While we cannot comment on this specific alleged incident, it is important that parents understand that this alleged type of behavior is not acceptable and cannot be tolerated."

The shaken up family said this is no way for a parent to behave with anyone. "I wouldn't threaten my child," Harrigan said, "much less go up to someone else's child and threaten them."

Barnard faces several charges, including aggravated assault. She will be back in court Feb. 2.

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