CHALMETTE, La. — Editor's note: The original media release from the St. Bernard Sheriff's Office stated Principal Wayne Warner was attacked while attempting to help a man in a wheelchair, however, Warner's wife told WWL Louisiana he was only questioning the man's destructive behavior and not trying to assist when the attack occurred.
The longtime principal of Chalmette High School suffered injuries that will require surgery after he was attacked by a man in a wheelchair on Sunday, the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office said.
Wayne Warner, who has been the principal at Chalmette High for 51 years, told the sheriff’s office that he was driving down Palmetto Street when he saw the man knocking over trash cans and mailboxes. Warner said that he pulled over and questioned the destructive actions and that the man became angry and pushed him down to the ground.
The sheriff’s office said that Warner was taken to the hospital and will require surgery for his injuries.
Wayne saw the man pushing the garbage cans over and moving through people's mailboxes, and everything," Principal Warner's wife, Kitty Warner, told WWL Louisiana's Paul Murphy on Tuesday afternoon. "And when Wayne parked his car and got out of it, Wayne said, 'What are you doing?'
"That's when the man pushed him in the chest and knocked him to the ground and stole his phone."
Once the sheriff's department and paramedics arrived, Warner was transported to East Jefferson General Hospital.
Shortly after the incident, Mrs. Warner posted on Facebook that Warner broke his hip and his elbow.
"Wayne landed on the concrete and knew immediately that he was hurt badly," she said in the post. "Since his phone had been stolen, he could not call 911 himself. He also could not move, so he laid there yelling for help. Eventually, the lady across the street, heard him and came out and called 911."
The man, identified as 33-year-old Christopher Kidd, was identified, arrested, and booked on counts of second-degree robbery, simple battery of the infirm, simple assault, shoplifting, resisting a police officer, and battery on a police officer.
Kidd apparently struggled when deputies attempted to arrest him.
Kitty Warner said her husband was in a great deal of pain and that rehab would take months but that he was determined to be there for the opening day of classes.
"As much pain as he is in currently, what is going to pain him more is not being able to be there for the opening of school," she said in her post. Warner has been principal at Chalmette High since 1973. He is recognized as the longest-serving principal in the country.
In fact, his wife told WWL that Warner has been the longest serving principal in the nation since 2018.
"Someone was teasing me that he is keeping going because he wants to make it harder to break his record," she said. "You know, he now has grandchildren of students that were in his homeroom when he first started teaching at Chalmette. He's been at Chalmette for 58 years. This is going to be his 59th."
Anyone with information relating to this incident or any other criminal activity in St. Bernard Parish is asked to call the St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office at (504) 271-2501, the Criminal Investigations Bureau’s tip hotline at (504) 271-TIPS or 8477, or Crimestoppers GNO at (504) 822-1111. Callers to the CIB tip hotline or Crimestoppers can remain anonymous and could be eligible for a cash award from Crimestoppers.
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