January 25, 2007

News Release

TISD Continues Investigation

The incidents that occurred Tuesday night, January 23, in the parking lot at John Tyler High School are still under investigation.  The events that can be confirmed are as follows:

At approximately 8:30 pm a physical altercation occurred between two teenage males inside the gym.  A TISD Police officer responded and used a controlled burst of pepper spray on one subject who failed to respond to the verbal commands issued by the officer.  The subject was removed from the gym and left TISD property. No injuries were reported from this incident.

At approximately 9:20 p.m., (20 minutes after the conclusion of the basketball game), it is confirmed that there was one physical altercation that involved three female students.  This altercation began with a JT female student and a PACE female student.  A third female student entered the already in progress altercation.  During the investigation it was discovered the third student was from Lee High School.     This altercation was not related to the incident that occurred inside the gymnasium. 

To defuse this altercation between the three female students, several TISD administrators, coupled with campus security attempted to separate the parties involved.  Campus security used pepper spray to eliminate the altercation and restore order for the safety of all persons in the area.   An ambulance was dispatched to the scene to check on one of these female students involved in the fight.  She had been affected by the pepper spray.  She was treated at the scene and not transported.   

Tyler Police was notified and they sent additional officers to assist with crowd disbursement.

The criminal investigation is ongoing.  Possible charges are disruption of school activities, disorderly conduct fighting, both Class C misdemeanors, and assault for the use of pepper spray by two unidentified subjects that appear to be the age of students.

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