More than a dozen students at a local high school were taken into custody after a fight Thursday afternoon, Sheriff Steve Prator said in a news release.
Around 3 p.m., Cpl. Calvin Williams, the school resource officer assigned to Southwood High School, responded to a fight at the campus courtyard in front of the student center. He called for backup and nine deputies responded.
Fourteen male students were taken into custody. All will be charged with disturbing the peace.
One student will be charged with battery of a school teacher for punching the assistant school principal.
Another student, 18-year-old Devin Welch, was pepper sprayed and hand-cuffed after he resisted arrest and made threatening statements to Williams and one of the school’s staff members, Prator said. Welch will be charged with resisting an officer and interference with the operation of a school.
All students will be released to their parents except for Welch who has been booked into Caddo Correctional Center.
Williams is speaking with parents as the students are released.
