Matanzas High School.Photo:Flagler County Sheriff’s Office
Flagler County Sheriff’s Office
A fight that broke out at a Florida high school this week led to the arrest of 11 students, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
At about 1 p.m. on Monday, two school resource officers — School Resource Deputy King and School Resource Deputy Landi — responded to a disturbance in a hallway at Matanzas High School in Palm Coast, according to areleasefrom the sheriff’s office posted on social media Tuesday.
The officers saw a “large crowd of students standing in the hallway while several other students were involved in a physical fight” upon arrival, according to the release.
“Deputy Landi and Deputy King immediately assisted teachers and administrators in attempting to break up the fight and disperse the crowd of on-lookers.”
One 14-year-old female student allegedly pushed Deputy King so they could attack another student,” per the release. The student was subsequently taken into custody for felony resisting a law enforcement officer with violence, disruption of a school function, and disorderly conduct, per the release.
During his efforts to gain control of the situation, Deputy Landi, then “observed a male student run into the altercation” per the release and allegedly saw the student “charging at a school staff member while swinging his arms, ultimately punching the staff member in the shoulder.”
A third incident detailed in the release described another 17-year-old male student who was allegedly observed grabbing and battering a school administrator.
“At the same time, another school administrator was attempting to escort a student away from the fight, when another male student ran up to the administrator and grabbed them,” the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office release stated. “The student then battered the administrator before being taken to the Dean’s Office.”
The student was then arrested for felony battery on a school official and disorderly conduct, police said.
Affidavits were filed with the State Attorney’s Office recommending misdemeanor charges against the other eight students, according to the sheriff’s office.
Alongside the release, Flagler County Sheriff’s Office shared blurred body camera footage of the incident that showed students shouting and apparently involved in altercations, as well as officers making arrests. Matanzas High School staff notified parents of the incident.
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“But actions have consequences. Parents, be the Sheriff in your home and teach your kids the importance of respecting teachers, staff, and deputies. Teach them how to handle disagreements and that fighting only leads to more violence.”
“We have a zero-tolerance policy for violence at schools, and you will be arrested,” Staly continued. “I also commend our School Resource Deputies and the Matanzas High School staff for quickly getting a very volatile situation under control before anyone was seriously hurt.”
“There are so many students, teachers, administrators, and staff who work every day to promote and celebrate a positive school culture at their schools,” Moore continued. “This is an opportunity for our parents and guardians to reinforce the good choices their children decide to make and remind them why it is important to be successful in life.”
source: people.com
