A massive brawl broke out at an Arizona High School when more than 30 students and a parent engaged in a fight during a lunch break.
Tucson High School was placed on lockdown for several hours after the violent altercation on Tuesday.
Footage of the incident posted on social media shows the disturbing scene as students punch, kick and blast each other.
The fight began after a parent, wearing a red shirt and jeans, reportedly walked onto campus to confront a group of kids attacking his son. He had received reports that his son, who has special needs, was going to ‘get jumped’ outside of school.
When he arrived, he found kids attacking the boy’s brother who was sticking up for him, a relative told DailyMail.com.
An adult wearing a red shirt and jeans can be seen taking part in the fight and laying on top of a teenager as the older man grabs him by the neck.
Tucson police said that the parent was taken into custody but his name has not been released.
Rosalinda Martinez, the sister of the man, told DailyMail.com that her brother had been released Tuesday night and had only been charged with class disruption.
‘The judge had seen all the videos and understood the circumstances and told him they could have done things differently and avoid it all,’ Martinez said.
‘I’m sure the kids are going to need some kind of counseling. That was too much trauma. One of my nephews had a concussion.’
Authorities believe the fight started when the adult man arrived at the campus during the lunch break. No weapons were used in the fight and no injuries were reported, police said.
Meanwhile, parents’ posts on social media alleged that some children were pepper-sprayed before the school entered lockdown and that there was heavy police presence at the school.
When reached out by DailyMail.com, Tucson Police said officers who responded to the scene did not use any type of force including pepper spray.
‘If it was used it was not by our department,’ TPD Sergeant Richard Gradillas said.
DailyMail.com has reached out to the Tucson Unified School District and its safety department for comment.
Footage of a massive brawl at an Arizona high school Tuesday an adult wearing a red shirt taking part in the fight and laying on top of a teenager as the older man grabs him by the neck
Tucson High School was placed on lockdown for several hours after the violent altercation on Tuesday
Footage of the incident posted on social media shows the disturbing scene as students punch, kick and blast each other
Tucson Police assisted campus officers to deescalate the situation
Footage of the fight shows violence unfolding before the eyes of campus officers as efforts to deescalate the situation failed.
At least 30 students took part in the on-campus fight. One of the videos, seemingly posted on social media by a student, shows a man in a red shirt choking a teenager.
The school district addressed the altercation in a statement Tuesday, according to local news station KOLD News13.
‘The school is currently in a safety protocol due to an incident on campus. Tucson Police Department and TUSD School Safety immediately responded and will remain on campus for the remainder of the day to ensure there are no additional issues,’ it read.
‘All students and staff are safe and the campus should return to its regular class schedule within the hour’.
Sistine Arvizu, who claimed to be the mother of a Tucson High student pepper-sprayed in the altercation, said she hadn’t been able to reach anyone at the school.
In a statement Tuesday, the Tucson Unified School District addressed the fight
Parents’ posts on social media alleged that some children were pepper-sprayed before the school entered lockdown and that there was heavy police presence at the school
Sistine Arvizu, who claimed to be the mother of a Tucson High student pepper-sprayed in the altercation, said she hadn’t been able to reach anyone at the schoo
Authorities believe the fight started when the adult man arrived at the campus during the lunch break
At least 30 students took part in the on-campus fight
A mother claimed her daughter, a student at the highschool, was pepper-sprayed
Tucson Police denied using force on the children and confirmed one person was in custody.
‘My daughter was not treated by the school nurse or any health official as they advised them to pour milk in their eyes and sent them back to class,’ Arvizu alleged.
‘The school was on lockdown and I wasn’t even able to pick her up to take her to be treated. Thankfully a kind teacher of hers helped her rinse. My daughter is okay now but she said many kids were affected by this.’
Tucson Police denied using force on the children and confirmed one person was in custody.
Sergeant Gradillas said the school district’s safety force responded to the scene first but when the situation escalated, Tucson Police officers were sent to assist.
‘This incident occurred in a large area of the campus during a busy time of day (lunch hour). The initial information I have indicates that no weapons were brought onto campus by the suspect and no injuries or medical transports have been reported,’ Gradillas told DailyMail.com.
‘We can confirm no TPD officers used any type of force that including pepper spray, if it was used it was not by our department.’
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