Webb City man charged with assault, property damage after breaking school bus window

Feb. 2—WEBB CITY, Mo. — A 19-year-old man was arrested Tuesday morning after he broke a bus window while attempting to assault a Webb City High School bus driver, who had a bus full of students on board, according to authorities.

William C. Thompson, of Webb City, has been charged with property damage and assault through Webb City Municipal Court. He was taken to the Webb City Police Department, where he was held on a $1,000 bond.

Webb City police responded to a property damage call at 7:35 a.m. Tuesday in the south parking lot at Webb City High School. Chief Don Melton said the bus was near capacity with students ranging from kindergarten to high school age. There were no reported injuries.

Melton said the man was angry at the bus driver, who he believed almost collided with his car in the entrance to the parking lot. Witnesses told the officers that he got out of his vehicle and began exchanging words with the bus driver.

"He was frustrated because he thought that the bus driver nearly struck his vehicle," Melton said. "He tried to confront the bus driver through the driver's side window, and the bus driver shut the window. The suspect then struck the window (several times), breaking it."

Thompson is not a parent or a student at Webb City High School, according to the police.

The Webb City School District announced the incident on its Facebook page Tuesday morning.

"Our bus driver handled the situation very well, kept students safe, and is in good spirits," the district said in its statement. "We are currently making every attempt to contact parents to update them on the situation."

When contacted by the Globe, Webb City school officials declined further comment, saying that the situation was being handled by police.