Campus Safety Incident: Trident Technical College Employee Arrested

A traffic stop on Wednesday resulted in the arrest of a Trident Technical College employee found carrying weapons on campus, according to the North Charleston Police Department. Jeffrey O'Dell, 64, was charged with possession of a firearm on school property and taken to Al Cannon Detention Center. This incident underscores the ongoing concerns surrounding campus safety and regulatory compliance requirements.

The arrest occurred around 6:30 p.m. after officers observed the vehicle leaving the college campus while committing various traffic violations. Noted for erratic driving, it was eventually stopped near Ashley Phosphate Road and Stafford Street. During the stop, O'Dell appeared nervous, struggling to find his license within a makeshift wallet of cards. Officers reported he was sweating and coughing, attributing these symptoms to an ear infection; however, they also detected the scent of marijuana from the car.

O'Dell notified officers of a handgun on the front seat beneath a towel. Upon inspection, they found a bullet in the chamber and five more rounds in the magazine. The search revealed five loaded pistol magazines in the car door pocket, two knives longer than two inches in a lunchbox, a stun gun in the trunk, and a PSA AK rifle with 11 loaded magazines and 305 rounds of live ammunition. This alarming discovery highlights the need for ongoing risk management and vigilant regulatory enforcement in educational environments.