A Tamaqua man who caused a disturbance and refused to obey police orders outside the Tamaqua Middle School Thursday morning was committed to the Schuylkill County Prison on charges filed by the Walker Township Police Department and Tamaqua Area School District Police.

The agencies charged Kenneth Brown, 41, of Pine Street, with resisting arrest and two counts of disorderly conduct.

According to a criminal complaint, a Tamaqua Area Middle School teacher reported seeing a tall man wearing a ski mask approach a girl and a woman at 7:09 a.m. As the man, later identified as Brown, walked closer to the school, he pulled his hood over his head and kept his right hand in his pocket. The man was also talking in an escalated tone, the teacher told school police and Principal Christopher Czapla.

Police said that about 50 students were standing outside the school, so officers and Czapla went there for their safety. Police said Brown - still in his ski mask - began yelling at students.

Officers said Brown became defiant and disorderly. An officer attempted to escort Brown to the side of the school but he pulled away. At that point, he was advised that he was under arrest.

Police attempted to place Brown against a wall and take him into custody as he yelled profanities. Brown broke away and began to leave while cursing and yelling. Police said many employees and students were making their way to school during the incident.

Despite being told that he was under arrest, Brown walked to his vehicle. He drove the vehicle further in the parking lot but eventually got out. He continued to ignore orders to get on the ground so he could be taken into custody, police said.

School police requested assistance from the Tamaqua Police Department. Officers said Brown continued to resist arrest but when Tamaqua police arrived, he placed his hands in the air. He did not lay on the ground as told and continued to resist arrest.

An officer deployed his stun gun twice on Brown, who was eventually placed under arrest and taken into custody.

The school police officer received minor scrapes on his hands and a Tamaqua officer received a minor injury to a finger.

Brown was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Edward Tarantelli. He was unable to post $25,000 percentage bail and was sent to the Schuylkill County Prison.