Published: April 01, 2008 04:42 pm            

Police quell near-riot at Massachusetts high school

LAWRENCE, Mass. — Five teenage girls were arrested for participating in a fight that police feared might break into a riot at Lawrence High School.



The charges included battery with a dangerous weapon, assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest.



Police Chief John Romero said Monday's fight among the female students broke out at the end of the school day just inside the school's main entrance. He said 300 students were crowded around a circle and cheering the combatants on.



A fulltime police officer assigned to the high school because of past troubles alerted other officers, and several of them hurried to the scene. They broke up the melee, but not without resistence. Three officers sustained minor injuries.



"Due to the actions of the arrested (students) and the extremely large crowd, the situation became volatile and had the potential for a riotous situation," the official police report said.



Chief Romero did not know what caused the fight to break out. He said school officials, including an assistant principal, tried to break it up before it got out of control but could not handle the situation until police backup arrived.



He said the arrested girls were ages 14 to 16. Their names were not disclosed because they are minors. They will be charged in juvenile court.



"Once you have kids fighting and more watching, that's a pretty serious situation," said Romero. "There are lots of kids hanging around and that leads to the potential for things to happen."



Lawrence is a major immigrant city in New England, with 70 percent of the residents from Latin American countries, mainly the Dominican Republic. Most students attending the high school are Latino, and youth gangs have caused problems in the past.



Stephanie Chelf is a reporter for The Eagle-Tribune of North Andover, Mass. Contact her at schelf@eagletribune.com.

        

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