Math teacher pulls knife on student

A New Mexico middle school teacher is facing charges that allege he threatened a student with a knife for talking during a pop quiz, police said Monday.

Bernalillo Police Chief Tom Romero said Benjamin Nagurski was arrested Friday after school officials took him out of the classroom following the bizarre exchange.

According to a criminal complaint, the 63-year-old math teacher threatened a student with the knife and told him to stop talking to another student.

"Students interviewed later by officers all corroborated the story," said Romero, whose town is 16 miles north of Albuquerque.

The criminal complaint said that when the student confronted Nagurski about the knife, the teacher allegedly told him, "Maybe next time I'll pull a machete on you."

The complaint said Nagurski told investigators he only shook the knife in his hand and then apologized.

Nagurksi faces charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and possession of an unlawful weapon. The school principal told police Nagurksi had a rounded steak knife, and another knife with a sharp tip and a wooden handle.

Nagurski was jailed on $10,000 bail. It wasn't known if he has an attorney.

Bernalillo Public Schools Superintendent Allan Tapia didn't immediately return a message seeking comment.

(Image via Shutterstock)

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