Three teenagers charged after police call school fight in Coralville

A fight between students outside a Coralville high school on March 24 led to charges against three teenagers and concerns from the families involved that the police conduct was excessive.

Northwest Junior High School staff called the Coralville Police Department just after 3 p.m. in response to an ongoing fight. It’s unclear how many students participated in the fight or saw it happen, but it took place just after the last bell rang – the time of day when hundreds of students head back out of the building. at their home.

School administrators and staff attempted to defuse the situation; however, it became apparent that assistance from the Coralville Police Department was needed to ensure the safety of everyone involved, the school district said in a statement. Two staff members were “accidentally injured” in the incident, the district said.

Ten police officers were present at the scene, according to documents.

One of the minors is charged with obstructing official acts, assaulting a police officer causing injury and disorderly conduct. Another is accused of interfering in official acts and assaulting a police officer. A third is charged with disorderly conduct.

The police do not identify the students because of their age.

“This matter is still under investigation and additional charges are expected, also involving minors,” Coralville Police Chief Shane Kron told the Press-Citizen via email.

Video of the incident circulating on social media shows a boy being held down with his face pressed against the pavement by a woman who does not appear to be in a police uniform. A male policeman stands next to the woman.

The Press-Citizen spoke to four eyewitnesses and four parents concerned about the incident.

In an interview with Press-Citizen, the student in this video said he participated in the fight but was returning home peacefully when officers took him to the ground. He is 14 years old and about 5 feet 4 inches tall and 120 pounds. He is an eighth grader at Northwest.

In his story, he was walking away when two people, who were not in police uniform, asked him to stop and talk to them. He refused and continued walking, before someone “pulled” his shoulder, which he says caused him to react physically in self-defense. Uniformed police then approached and he was led to the sidewalk.

The charges against him include assaulting a police officer causing injury.

He was also suspended from school for 10 days, the maximum allowed by school board policy. He said he was also asked not to come to school on Friday, the day after the incident, but that the 11th day of absence from school was not officially included in the suspension.

His mother, Sylvia Tanner, said she was worried that her son was missing so much time from school. He received homework online in the meantime. The 10-day suspension seemed long, she said in an interview, but “there was nothing I could do about it.”

Another 14-year-old student from the North West told the Press-Citizen she remembered being confused watching the police interact with her peers. She did not participate in the fight or act violently, but yelled at the police out of fear for the students’ safety, she said.

Then she remembers being on the ground, the police above her.

She is also accused of assaulting a police officer.

His mother, Nikisha Archer said watching a video of her daughter interacting with police that day was not easy.

“I was angry. I was sad. I was scared; everything,” she said in an interview.

Neither Tanner nor Archer were able to speak with their children until they met at the police station, which they say caused more concern.

The Press-Citizen requested body camera footage and incident reports from Coralville police. The request was denied. Kron said the records are considered part of an investigation report for an open case.

Kron would not say whether plainclothes officers were present at the scene, comment on allegations they did not identify as law enforcement, whether weapons were involved in the fight, or explain the extent of the police injuries cited in the charges.

He also refused to respond to allegations that the officers were unnecessarily violent with the students.

“We will present evidence in juvenile court at a hearing if necessary, and those charged with delinquency may do the same. We do not judge cases on social media or in the press,” Kron wrote in an e-mail. -mail.

When officers arrive on the scene, they are expected to act with respect, said local activist Angel Taylor. She expressed concern about charges being brought against children if, according to their account, the police are acting inappropriately and black children are being treated unfairly by the police.

“Racism is built and embedded in America’s history. It’s always a manifestation of that, and it has to stop,” she said.

‘Our schools are on fire’: Community comes together over police incident

About 50 people gathered in the Northwest Auditorium on Wednesday for a meeting about the incident organized by the Black Voices Project.

“You know why we’re here. Our schools are on fire,” Royceann Porter, BVP co-founder and chair of the county board of supervisors, said at the start of the meeting.

Questions from the community focused on school climate, factors that lead to fights between children, and resources for their mental health that could be used for prevention.

No parent, child or staff member directly involved in the Northwest incident spoke that evening. District Superintendent Matt Degner was in attendance, along with several district equity department staff and local faith leaders. The school district has not commented on the incident beyond its statement.

In an interview, Porter said she hoped to set up a meeting with Kron about the incident.

“I know it was chaotic. And I just need to see the bigger picture, I need to see everything. I’m not going to make any decisions or say anything at this point,” he said. she declared.

Cleo Krejci covers education for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. You can reach her at [email protected]