Anne Arundel police are conducting an internal investigation following complaints of excessive force used to break up a student brawl at Meade High School on Friday, according to police spokesman Cpl. Mark Shawkey.
Students told WBAL-TV 11 News that police officers threw students to the ground, shoved them into bleachers and beat them with sticks. Cell phone videos of the incident, taken by student witnesses,have been posted on the Internet.
“At this point we believe the police acted appropriately,” Shawkey said. They prevented “an escalation to what could have been a very dangerous situation,” police said Tuesday.
Principal Daryl Kennedy met with parents Tuesday to hear complaints about the treatment of students, including the 10 minors and one adult who were arrested after the fight broke out in the gymnasium.
Kennedy did not return calls for comment.
Police say students turned on them when they attempted to break up the altercation and forced them to use “great restraint.” During the incident, five police officers suffered minor injuries, Shawkey said.
The school?s Parent Teacher Student Association plans to review the matter once the principal has finished meeting with parents and hearing their concerns.
“We will make determinations from all the information,” said Otha Thornton, PTSA president. “The prudent thing for us it to get all the facts, but we?re not going to go off half-cocked.”
The school will continue to look into the incident, but parents should take up their concerns about police brutality with the police, said Bob Mosier, Anne Arundel County schools spokesman.
Parents plan to meet with the police commander of the Western District to discuss their concerns. The Commander had assigned extra officers Friday to monitor the school for disruptions after fights broke out last year on the last day of school, according to a police report.
The arrested students face charges of assault, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and disrupting student activities. Stacie Beauford, the 18-year-old student arrested, went before the district court commissioner because she was charged with a criminal offense, Shawkey said.
