Riot at West Potomac High School
Posted by:
West Po Reporter
()
Date: October 12, 2017 06:40PM
Seems to be a formatting problem with the other thread, so here again is the police version of what happened:
Mount Vernon Police District – A 16-year-old student from West Potomac High School is facing multiple charges after attacking a school administrator and our school resource officer (SRO).
The investigation is just now underway, but we believe the incident started in a hallway after a pep rally in the nearby gym around 2:50 this afternoon. An Assistant Principal and SRO confronted the student about his possible involvement in illegal activity.
At this point it appears the student then assaulted the administrator, prompting the SRO to attempt to take him into custody. The student fought back against the SRO, assaulting him. The two went to the ground. While the SRO was trying to get the student under control, a group of approximately 100 students converged around the two.
The SRO felt threatened and called for emergency back up, which is only used in extreme situations. The SRO tried to gain control of the crowd by telling the students to back up, but they continued to close in on the officer. The SRO pulled out his Electronic Control Weapon (ECW) to help gain control of the large crowd while he waited for help to arrive, but did not deploy it.
Eventually the SRO and school staff were able to pull the initial student into a locker room, and arriving officers helped to disperse the crowd.
The 16-year-old is now at the Juvenile Detention Center facing Assault on Law Enforcement Officer, Assault on a School Official, and Disorderly Conduct charges. He did sustain a small cut. The SRO was not injured. The incident is under investigation.