On May 11th, Rachel Davis was watching her kindergarteners having recess at Inglewood Elementary School in Nashville when she noticed a suspicious man walking in circles just on the other side of the school’s fence. To be safe, she started to line the kids up to go back inside, but just as another teacher opened the door, the man hopped the fence and ran toward them yelling, “I need to get inside!” That man was 33 year old Onreka Gray. He was arrested the first time in 2009 and has had dozens of arrests since then, and according to WKRN TV was out on bail for attacking several police officers a few weeks earlier when he tried to enter the school.
A terrified Davis planted herself in front of the door and said loudly, "No sir!" Gray lunged toward the door, knocking three kids out of his way and then Davis grabbed the man from behind, wrapped her arms around him, squeezed as hard as she could, and yelled to the children, “Run! Go inside now!” The man continued through the door with Davis still wrapped around his back and then he broke free and started running toward the classrooms. Davis ran after him, tackled him, and broke her elbow in the process.
Katrina Thomas — a secretary at the school ran out to help and was joined by Shay Patton, a bookkeeper who with Davis restrained the man until police arrived ten minutes later and took him into custody. All 3 were taken to a nearby hospital. Shay and Katrina had sprains and Katrina a cast for her arm and then took six days off to recuperate. While she was off, parents and teachers brought food and gifts to their “hero” at her home. Then when she returned to school, a student rushed up to hug her and started crying and the touching moment had Davis crying, too, as the student said he was so glad she was back.