Heroic Tucson PD School Safety Officer honored by Supt. Horne

For immediate release: February 6, 2025
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Heroic Tucson PD School Safety Officer honored by Supt. Horne

Officer prevented tragedy last month at east side school

TUCSON – A heroic effort by School Safety Officer William Bonanno of the Tucson Police Department to protect children from an armed intruder at an east side school last month was recognized by state schools chief Tom Horne today.

Horne presented Bonanno with a certificate of commendation and noted that his actions at the Legacy Charter School, in which he confronted and arrested an armed intruder, saved lives. Bonanno had been recently assigned to the school because in December, Supt. Horne released $48 million in added school safety funds that had not been fully utilized. Legacy Charter was among the first schools to apply for and receive funding to hire a School Safety Officer.

Horne said, “Officer Bonanno prevented the nightmare I have often talked about. 20 students and additional adults would have lost their lives, and the student’s parents would have had their lives ruined by uncontrollable grief. I know about this because I have lost a child. Those who have been opposing police in the schools need to rethink this issue. Think of the unimaginable tragedy that would have occurred if that School Safety Officer had not been there, or if he had been hired a little later.”

School Safety Officers are law enforcement officers assigned to schools that do not have a dedicated School Resource Officer. Several such officers are used to ensure full-time coverage of a school during the week. In 2023, the department began a public-private partnership with Off Duty Management, a company that assists in the placement of officers from multiple police jurisdictions statewide. Officer Bonanno was placed at the school under this partnership.

Brian Manley, President of Off Duty Management said, “The Off Duty Management Team is grateful that Officer Bonanno’s immediate action protected the lives and wellbeing of the children, school staff, and others present at the school that day. Without Officer Bonanno’s commitment to service, the excellence of Tucson Police Department under Chief Kasmar’s leadership, and the vision of Superintendent Tom Horne and Director Mike Kurtenbach of the Arizona Department of Education in putting this program and our partnership in place, this event would likely have ended in tragedy.”

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