Coach detained at North High School after threatening driver with fake gun, police say

North High School was placed on a secure perimeter Wednesday while the varsity track coach was arrested in the parking lot, according to a letter sent to parents from the district.

According to a probable cause statement for his arrest from the Denver Police Department, Youshi Kirkland threatened another driver with what turned out to be a fake gun. Kirkland has been placed on leave, the district said in its letter to parents.

The victim, an 18-year-old driver, was headed east and getting ready to turn into the high school parking lot when the incident happened around 4 p.m. Wednesday. A 15-year-old and a 10-year-old were also in the car.

According to the PC statement, the driver of another vehicle passed the victims and honked before flashing a “black handgun” at the victims, “putting them in fear for their lives.”

The victim quickly drove away and notified staff at the school. The other driver, later identified as Kirkland, drove to the back of the parking lot where he parked, according to the document.

For more on this story, and others, visit The Denver Gazette’s news partners, 9News

Sign Up For Free: Weekly 7

Catch up with a rundown of the 7 most important and interesting stories delivered to your inbox every Thursday.

Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter.

function subscribeSuccess() {
var nsltrform = document.querySelector(“#nsltr”);
var nsltrSuccess = document.querySelector(“#successnsltr”);

nsltrform.classList.add(“hideblock”);
nsltrSuccess.classList.remove(“hideblock”);
}

function validateEmail(email) {
return String(email)
.toLowerCase()
.match(
/^(([^()[].,;:s@”]+(.[^()[].,;:s@”]+)*)|(“.+”))@(([[0-9]{1,3}.[0-9]{1,3}.[0-9]{1,3}.[0-9]{1,3}])|(([a-zA-Z-0-9]+.)+[a-zA-Z]{2,}))$/
);
}

function validateEmailAddress() {
const result = document.querySelector(“#result”);
const email = document.querySelector(“#email”).value;

result.innerText = “”;

if(validateEmail(email)) {
newsletterSubscribe(email);
} else {
result.innerText = ‘The email entered: ‘ + email + ‘ is not valid :(‘;
result.style.color = “red”;
}
return false;
}

function newsletterSubscribe(email) {
fetch(“https://services.gazette.com/mg2-newsletters.php?action=subscribe&site=denvergazette.com&emailPreferenceId=69&email=” + email, {
method: “POST”
}).then(res => {
console.log(“SUCCESSFUL POST”);
subscribeSuccess();
});

}

#nsltr {
min-width: 100%;
margin: 10px 0;
padding: 10px 20px;
background-color: #2076b3;

background-image: url(https://static.gazette.com/emails/circ/Audience%20Images/dg%20weekly%207.png);
background-size: cover;

}

#nsltr-header {
color: #fff4f4;
}
#nsltr-body {
text-align: center;
color: #ffffff;
}
#nsltr-button {
margin-top: 5px;
}
#successnsltr {
min-width: 100%;
margin: 10px 0;
padding: 10px 20px;
background-color: green;
text-align: center;
color: white;
}

#successnsltr a {
color: white;
}

.hideblock {
display:none;
}

h6 a {
color: black;
text-decoration: none;
padding: 5px;
background-color: #bbccdd;
font-weight: 600;
}

@media only screen and (min-width: 768px) {
#nsltr {
background-image: url(https://static.gazette.com/emails/circ/Audience%20Images/dg%20weekly%207.png);
background-size: cover;
}
}


PREV

PREVIOUS

Suspected DUI driver arrested after fatal Wheat Ridge crash

The Wheat Ridge Police Department arrested a driver Thursday morning after he crashed into another vehicle while allegedly intoxicated, killing one and injuring a toddler.  Officers responded to the two-vehicle crash on eastbound Interstate 70 near Ward Road around 5 a.m., according to a social media post by the department. One person was pronounced dead […]

NEXT

NEXT UP

Highlands Ranch man arrested on suspicion of child abuse of infant

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office arrested a 33-year-old man on child abuse charges after he allegedly injuring his three-month-old infant. Detectives from the sheriff’s office’s Special Victims Unit were contacted by a local hospital after a three-month-old child was brought in with serious injuries on March 6. Officials at the hospital believed that one of […]