Shocking footage reveals moment high school fight turns into 200-person brawl involving parents – with one Louisiana cop seen punching a student’s head off a brick wall: Ten arrested and three officers injured
- A campus-wide brawl broke out in a Louisiana high school on Wednesday
- The clash began between a group of female students before violently spreading
- At least three officers were injured and ten students were arrested
A shocking 200-person brawl involving students, parents and police officers erupted at a Louisiana high school Wednesday morning as the campus was plunged into chaos.
At least three police officers were injured and ten people were arrested as droves of people, including parents, threw themselves into the melee.
Footage of the clash caught the moment a cop brutally punched a student’s head into a brick wall, while separate incidents saw dozens of students and police violently lashing out at each other.
Officials are still attempting to explain how the ugly scenes unfolded at East Baton Rouge Readiness Alternative School, which enrolls students who were previously suspended or expelled from other schools in the district.
The NAACP released a statement in response to the circulating video calling for ‘immediate action’ to be taken against the officers seen striking students and condemning parents who participated.
The organization also said it spoke with the sheriff’s department to ensure that all footage of the incident, including body camera footage, will be reviewed as part of the investigation.
Footage caught the moment an officer punches a student in the face, sending his head crashing into a brick wall behind him
East Baton Rouge School District communications director Ben Lemione, pictured, insisted school officials were ‘not going to tolerate’ the incident
https://youtube.com/watch?v=jUwHuZnPw9Q%3Frel%3D0%26showinfo%3D1%26hl%3Den-US
According to the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, school board security were the first on the scene shortly after 8am after responding to reports of a major campus disturbance.
And authorities quickly called for backup after discovering the violence, which expanded into involving around 200 students and parents fighting.
Local reports indicate that the hostility first broke out among a group of female students before it quickly spread throughout the grounds.
Parents and outside individuals rushed to the campus and joined in the mass brawl after text messages were reportedly sent out calling on people to participate.
Shortly after law enforcement first arrived, the quick escalation led them to issue an urgent call for backup from all available units to quell the chaos.
As the students and officers fiercely clashed, officials said a Baton Rouge cop was rushed to hospital with a broken hip and head lacerations.
A total of 10 arrests were made by law enforcement, including three charged with battery on a police officer, which is a felony offense.
Five teens were also arrested on a count of disturbing the peace, with one 18-year-old girl arrested on counts of unlawful disruption of the operation of a school and resisting arrest and a 17-year-old girl on a count of disturbing the peace and resisting arrest.
None of the parents or outside adults were taken into custody, and all of those arrested were aged between 15 to 18.
A dozen students were arrested following the melee, including three charged with battery on a police officer, which is a felony offense
Law enforcement issued an urgent call for all available units to race to the scene and provide backup
Video of one of the confrontations with police showed a 17-year-old student and an officer scrambling as the cop attempts to make an arrest.
In scenes that have since been widely circulated, the officer then strikes the student in the face, sending his head flying back into a brick wall.
Police said the teen had previously punched the officer in the face moments before and attempted to bite him, and he was among those charged with battery on an officer and resisting arrest.
The Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to request for comment over the incident when contacted by DailyMail.com
Authorities added that they found a loaded gun outside the school during the fight, however there is currently no indication it was fired.
Police violently confronted the out-of-control students as they flew into a frenzy, with one 17-year-old, pictured, arrested after he assaulted an officer
‘What (police) walked into was a series of fights, and they began making arrests,’ said East Baton Rouge School District communications director Ben Lemione, to WIBW.
‘We just want to stress to the public that we’re not going to tolerate this as a district, this is a real shame.
‘The fact that people from the outside are coming onto our school campuses and conducting in this kind of behavior is really concerning for us and law enforcement.’
The East Baton Rouge Parish School System said in a statement it is cooperating with authorities to review evidence and investigate what led to the school-wide conflict.
Following the violence, Lemione added that the school remains open, but is working with authorities to increase security on campus.
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