Man arrested after making threats to Napoleon Community Schools

NAPOLEON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WILX) - A member of the teaching staff at Ackerson Lake School received inappropriate voicemails and Facebook messages in March. Now a man has been arrested related to those threats.

On Tuesday, May 31, 2022, the Napoleon Township Police Department (NTPD) was made aware of a series of threats made against Napoleon Community Schools (NCS) staff and the NTPD school resource officer assigned to NCS.

A staff member received threatening messages from a 20-year-old student earlier in the week, leading to an investigation. The student talked with others about his concerns over not being allowed to graduate or participate in graduation ceremonies.

Those students reported the concerns and specific threats he made toward teachers, staff members, and the school resource officer. Administrative staff determined the student should be issued a letter of trespass, barring him from being on any NCS property.

During the police investigation, multiple students and staff members were interviewed and the student’s threats were reviewed, leading officers to find that Nathaneal Mann posed a credible threat to the safety of school officers and staff members. Police reports and supporting documentation through interviews and a review of social media was sent to the Jackson County Office of the Prosecutor on June 2.

The Office of the Prosecutor authorized a two-count felony arrest warrant related specifically to the threats.

Count one: False report or threat of terrorism - punishable by up to 20 years in prison
Count two: Intentional threat to commit an act of violence against a school, school employees, or students with specific intent to carry out – punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

Mann was taken into custody on June 3 and lodged at the Jackson County Jail where is held on a $750,000 bond. A condition of the bond is a GPS tether, should Mann post bond.

Following his arrest, NTPD officers executed a search warrant of Mann’s home, seizing several pieces of evidence related to the investigation.

“During the course of this investigation, both the school and the department remained in close and constant communication regarding the best course of action throughout its duration,” the Napoleon Township Police Department said in a statement.

“The Napoleon Township Police Department would like to thank Napoleon Community Schools, the Napoleon Township Fire Department, Jackson County Office of the Sheriff, and the Jackson County Office of the Prosecutor for their assistance with each step of the investigation and the promptness and regard for which they gave each step of this investigation. Most importantly, we would extend a most sincere thank you to the students of Napoleon Community Schools. Without their willingness to get involved and their concern for the safety and wellbeing of their teachers and classmates, this investigation may not have been nearly as successful and certainly not at the speed at which it was.”

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