HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — A school security officer was arrested after officials said he pawned his school security firearm.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said during an unplanned inspection, a Mango Elementary school supervisor noticed that the school security officer did not have his firearm. The school security officer had a pellet gun instead.

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It caused some concern, so the supervisor began asking questions. The school officer, Leroy King, began formulating several different stories about where his firearm was.

The HCSO then began investigating.

On Oct. 18, King pawned his agency-issued ballistic best, which is owned by Hillsborough County School Security, at a Cash America pawn store. As part of the transaction, King signed his name and provided a thumbprint swearing the vest was his. He was paid $125 for the vest.

On Nov. 2, King completed another transaction. This time, he pawned his agency-issued TLR1 Streamlight weapon mount light, also owned by Hillsborough County School Security. He was provided $50 for the transaction.

Those items were issued to King by the elementary school to protect the children.

On Dec. 5, the pawned items were recovered by an HCSO deputy at the pawn shop and returned the items to the school. King admitted to pawning those items due to financial difficulties.

King was later arrested by the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. He is facing eight felony charges of providing false information on a pawn broker form.