GATESVILLE – A Gates County High School science teacher resigned last week after being arrested for gun and alcohol related charges.

Stephen Matthew Perry was arrested on two felony warrants for possession of a firearm and one count of possession of alcohol on school property, according to information on the website of Channel 3 in Virginia (www.wtkr.com).

The Gates County Sheriff’s Office started their investigation on Thursday, Nov. 19 after receiving a complaint from a student about Perry.

“It just basically seemed like–he seemed to be a little unsteady on his feet, that was the original complaint,” said Gates County Sheriff Edward Webb.

After gathering information, Webb says a school resource officer assigned to the high school along with the GCHS principal approached Perry.

“They recovered two small bottles of alcohol from out of the desk drawer there in the classroom,” Webb said.

Perry also admitted to having firearms in his car on school property, a rifle and a 20 gauge shot gun.

Webb says he believes the guns in Perry’s car were strictly for hunting, but it’s still illegal to have weapons on school property.

Officers also did a breath test on Perry for alcohol in his system but it came back negative.

Webb says Perry was asked to leave the school and he resigned from the position on his own Thursday.