Canterbury School’s director of safety resigns after gun possession arrest

The Canterbury School’s director of school safety has resigned following an arrest for possessing a gun as a convicted felon.

Wyatt Henderson resigned on Tuesday, according to a message sent to the school community from Canterbury’s Head of School, Rick Kirschner.

Henderson, a former detective with the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, was convicted of depriving someone of their civil right and engaging in misleading conduct after authorities say he pistol-whipped a juvenile during a minor drug bust, according to the warrant for his latest arrest.

According to internal affairs documents, Henderson tried to cover up the incident.

“He was their supervisor and asked people within the department to lie for him and to falsify the report so that he wouldn’t get in trouble,” said Amy Oshier, WINK News’ health reporter who covered Henderson’s trial.

Henderson’s past caught up with him after a private investigator, hired to complete background investigations on Canterbury security guards, contacted the Lee County Sheriff’s Office on May 11 to say Henderson was a convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing a firearm.

Henderson spent just over two years in federal prison after his conviction.

In 2017, he was granted his restoration of rights, except the authority to own or possess a gun, according to the warrant.

“Due to federal firearm laws, the Clemency Board will not consider requests for firearm authority from individuals convicted in federal or out-of-state courts,” the warrant states.

Lee County detectives noted that Henderson kept a gun holstered to his right hip during their interactions with law enforcement while on campus.

On May 12, deputies seized Henderson’s gun.

Records from the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services showed Henderson was issued a “Class D” security license from the State of Florida but not a “Class G” license, which is required to lawfully carry a gun while employed as a security guard, according to the warrant.

Henderson is also accused of telling the department he was not convicted of a crime when he was. Once the department told him he was not eligible for the requested license, he provided them with a copy of his clemency certification, which stated the board did not restore his right to possess a firearm.