Parent Accused Of Impersonating Law Enforcement Officer, Possessing Gun At Johnston County Elementary School

WILLOW SPRING – For the second time this week, a person has been charged with bringing a gun onto a Johnston County public school campus.

Around 9:09am Friday, the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office responded to Dixon Road Elementary School. Deputies allege Nathan James Bailey of Raleigh entered the school campus. Bailey, age 34, has a child at this school.

Bailey was reportedly wearing a tactical raid vest with a badge and a firearm on his side.

School staff immediately recognized Mr. Bailey as a parent as he passed through the weapons detection system. He was ordered by school staff to leave the building with the firearm. Staff immediately notified law enforcement.

Bailey had departed the Dixon Road campus before law enforcement officers arrived. Warrants were obtained for the arrest of Nathan James Bailey for felony possession of a firearm on educational property and misdemeanor impersonation of a law enforcement officer.

This tactical raid vest, badge, and firearm were reportedly seized from Nathan James Bailey following his arrest March 24, 2023. Johnston County Sheriff’s Office Photo

After learning investigators wished to speak with him, Bailey came to the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office where he was arrested by detectives.

He was confined in the Johnston County Jail under a $12,000 bond.

Detectives were able to seize the firearm, tactical vest and badge reportedly used by Mr. Bailey.

Dixon Road Elementary School does not currently have an assigned school resource officer on site.

Investigators confirmed Bailey is not a law enforcement officer or a licensed private investigator.

On Tuesday, Clayton Police arrested a 21 year-old man they say brought a handgun onto the campus of Clayton Middle School while picking up his sisters, who were students at the school.

13 COMMENTS

  1. If you want to be a cop so bad. Just go become one? Lol. Or maybe we are better off without someone who wants to be a cop this bad.

  2. Looks like the badge says private investor nothing about a police officer. Maybe it’s something he does on the side If it said police or law enforcement then I would understand. He will still have to answer for the gun on school ground

    • @Politics: Private investigators are licensed by the NC DOJ (G.S. § 74C-3). Impersonation of a licensed PI agent is illegal.

    • As others have said, it is illegal to impersonate a private investigator. Further, North Carolina only has one approved badge for private investigators and this is not it! They are also prohibited from wearing it and must keep it in a wallet-style case. Everything about this situation stinks and screams mental illness.

  3. Thanks for informing everyone there’s no resource officer in the building, real smart & safe.

  4. Lol, a Sheepdog acting all tough with his vest and Beretta in a cheap, unsafe holster. Idiots like him drag the public image of normal gun owners down all the time.

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