Drunk Memphis Mom Chases School Administrator with "sword"

Memphis police responded Tuesday morning to reports that a drunk woman was running through the halls of Riverview Elementary School at 260 Joubert Ave. in Memphis waving a "sword" and threatening employees.

Toni L. Price, 32, admitted to authorities that she had downed a 40-ounce Colt 45, malt liquor, on February 22, 2010, before taking her walking cane with a concealed blade into Riverview Elementary School.

Court records say a female employee of the school was threatened by Price as she ran through the halls. The employee said Price pulled a long knife out of her walking cane and told the woman she would "cut" her. Memphis police confiscated the black walking cane, which had a removable handle that pulled out to reveal a 12-inch knife blade resembling a small sword.

That woman was able to detour Price into a room, out of the halls, and let her calm down until police arrived. Price was charged with aggravated assault and carrying a weapon on school property - both felonies in the state of Tennessee. She is being held on a $4,500 bond and appeared before the judge Wednesday morning, February 24, 2010.

Price's mother, Bennie Price, defended her daughter on WMC-TV in Memphis saying her daughter "would never hurt anyone at the school." Bennie Price said her daughter was going to talk to the parents of another elementary school child who allegedly spit on Toni's seven-year-old daughter, Aaliyyah Price, the previous school day. Aaliyyah told WMC-TV the other student had spit on her, "so I spit on her back."

Bennie Price explained that her daughter Toni brought the blade to protect herself from "pit-bulls" in the West Memphis area as she walked to the school. Toni Price's daughter also said she was present and witnessed her mother pull the knife from the cane.

Memphis City Schools reported that the administrators at the school called police when they suspected something was wrong and officers were able to arrive before the situation escalated. Memphis City Schools also verified that the employee was an administrator at the school, and the other students' parents were not present at the school on Tuesday.