Fairfield police release video of officers arresting 2 high school students involved in fight
The Fairfield Police Department released body camera footage of officers breaking up a fight and arresting two students at Fairfield High School on Wednesday as a video of the incident circulated on social media.
Officers said they responded to the high school shortly after 12:30 p.m. due to a fight on campus that involved multiple students.
One student fought a school official who was attempting to break up the fight, police said. The officer requested emergency help and saw one student attempting to pull something out of a backpack during the fight.
The officer believed the student was grabbing a weapon and confiscated two backpacks. Police said they later found sharp objects in the backpacks, including a screwdriver.
The student was then escorted to a school office by the officer, as a large crowd followed them. Once that student was in the office, the officer contacted a second student, who they say was still trying to fight.
Police said the student refused to listen to the officer and ran into the large group, where more fights were taking place.
When the officer tried to detain the student, police said the student hit the officer. The officer was able to grab the student and escort him toward the school office.
But the student pulled away and was "displaying aggressive behaviors," police said. At this time, additional officers arrived at the scene, and one officer took the student down to the ground.
Police said the student continued to resist arrest and placed his hands over his head and covered his face. An officer tried to place the student's hands behind his back, but was unsuccessful.
This is when police said the officer hit the student, calling it a "distraction strike to the second student's hands." The officer then tried again to place the student's hands behind his back, but was still unsuccessful.
"The officer applied additional distraction strikes, which resulted in the second student complying and placing his hands behind his back," police said.
That student was then arrested as a large group of students surrounded officers.
The first student who was placed into the school office then escaped, but was soon after arrested, police said.
The police department addressed a video on social media, saying it's committed to transparency and released body camera footage. Viewer discretion advised.
Police said the two students, who were not identified, were arrested for causing a disturbance on a school campus and resisting arrest. They were not injured in the incident, police said. No officers were injured either.
"That officer needs to be investigated, the school needs to be investigated and these kids need more safety by the staff or the police that they have on campus," said Anhloc Harris, a friend of the student's family who came to the school to protest the actions by police.
Fairfield Suisun Unified School District issued a statement reading that the police department is conducting an investigation, as is the site administration.