Four cops injured while trying to break up massive student brawl
October 30, 2015
ALLENTOWN, Pa. – Five students have been arrested in connection to a massive brawl outside of Allentown’s William Allen High School Thursday that left four police officers injured.
The five students face charges of aggravated assault, simple assault and riot, and charges against others could be forthcoming after a fight that started between two female students and quickly spread to involve approximately 200 students spread across five city blocks, according to The Morning Call.
Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin told the news site one officer was diagnosed with a concussion, and female officer who was attacked by students may have also. Two other officers suffered minor injuries and returned to work Friday.
Martin said investigators are using the city’s surveillance cameras to track down several students who attacked police officers, as well as others involved in the fighting.
The melee started around 3 p.m. Thursday between two teen girls, built into a large brawl, and then splintered into several groups of students fighting at several intersections once police arrived, officials said.
“The large group splits up into several different groups,” assistant police chief Bill Lake said. “Officers found themselves responding to several areas.”
At 12th and Chew streets, a video posted online shows a female officer is temporarily knocked to the ground by a female student before quickly rebounding to chase the teen. Moments later, the student grabbed the police officer by the hair and continues to attack her.
“As the female juvenile was being taken into custody, she punched the officer in the face and the officer went down to the ground where the assault continued, police said,” according to The Morning Call. Other students also assaulted the female officer as she arrested the girl.
Allentown School District officials released a statement Friday, according to NBC Philadelphia.
“The Allentown School District is working in partnership with the Allentown Police Department to ensure a thorough investigation of the incident that transpired at 12th and Chew Streets in the city on Thursday, October 29,” the statement read.
“The District does not tolerate behavior of this kind. APS officers work diligently to ensure the safety of our students and this community, and an attack on an officer will be dealt with to the fullest extent of the law. Our support goes out to the injured police officers and their families.”
Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski told The Morning Call he believes officers handled themselves well.
“In a time when actions by police officers are subject to great scrutiny across the country, I believe our officers showed remarkable restraint when their own personal safety was at risk,” he said. “Violence against police officers cannot be tolerated. The perpetrators of that violence must be held accountable in the justice system and in accordance with the school discipline code.”
Several videos of the fight posted on Facebook generated a lot of views, with one posted by student Izaiah Ortiz that was viewed 266,382 times and shared 5,247 times in less than a day.
“Cause I ain’t wanna make it seem like I support shawty,” Ortiz wrote. “Like she get no points for that lol no respect. Just straight stupid feel me?”
Another student who posted a video on Facebook, Demetrian Lemelle, seemed to think the whole ordeal was some sort of joke.
“Dumb Tight I Only Caught The End But Shorty Deadass Spanked This Cop,” he wrote. “Tired of Police abusing their power so (expletive) them.”
NBC Philadelphia reports a mother of one of the students who posted a video online commented on the post alleging the incident wasn’t about race, but rather a “way bigger issue.”
“I have witnessed my own child being thrown and pulled and being brought home from a officer bruised up,” she wrote, “ … there’s no reason our kids should be disrespectful but law enforcement needs to also understand they are still kids and man handling them as if they were adults is unacceptable.”
Others, like Sean Williams, disagreed.
“You dumb as (expletive) for even posting this shit,” he wrote. “Maybe if your parent wooped yalls asses n actually gave a damn cops wouldnt be in ur face . But had that cop tazed sprayed or used jer baton all these ppl be claiming police brutality. Not the cop acting in self defense. This is not directed at those above just all those involved wit the video n that stood there doing nothing…. ppl are right kids n teens now adays dont know respect morals responsability nothing.”
http://eagnews.org/four-cops-injured-while-trying-to-break-up-massive-student-brawl/
