Woonsocket Police Arrest Woman For Threatening Teacher Through Pothier School Window

A local woman is due in Sixth District Court today at 2 p.m. to answer a disorderly conduct charge after she allegedly made threatening "shooting" gestures with her hands at a Pothier Elementary teacher though a window.

According to a release sent out this afternoon by Woonsocket Police Information Officer Det. Jamie Paone, at about 8:10 a.m., four officers responded to the school at 420 Robinson St. for a report of a woman making threatening gestures at a teacher.

Paone said police have extra patrols assigned to the city's schools following the recent . Pothier School, a public school for students in pre-K through second grade, has about 450 students.

The teacher told police she was in a conference room looking out the window when she saw a woman walking with children on the sidewalk. 

According to the teacher, the woman, whom police identified as Vanice Armstrong, 26, of 170 Cumberland St., made direct eye contact with the teacher, posing her hands like guns and gesturing as if she were shooting the teacher while she laughed at her.

Police spoke with Armstrong about the incident, and she denied the allegations. She was arrested after a brief struggle and charged with disorderly conduct. Armstrong was transported to Sixth District Court and will appear before a judge at 2 p.m. today. 

Paone said it's a good idea to avoid acting in a threatening manner around schools in general. "Given the recent events we're going to take all those actions seriously," Paone said.