A 13-year-old girl from Leesburg was arrested for striking a deputy who stopped her from fighting another student and an assistant principal.
The student, whose name is being withheld because she is a juvenile, was charged with battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting with violence and disruption of school function.
The school resource deputy responded to a disturbance in the main hallway of Oak Park Middle School at around 3:10 p.m. Tuesday, according to an arrest report from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
During class change, several students were running towards a potential physical altercation. The students were following behind the juvenile, who was attempting to physically confront a 12-year-old female student.
The 12-year-old student started running away from the juvenile and fell to the ground when the juvenile ran, shoulder first, into the assistant principal. He attempted to calm the juvenile down as she pushed him and yelled profanities at him, the report said.
As the deputy observed her pushing the assistant principal, he intervened and restrained the juvenile against the wall near a restroom. The juvenile struck the deputy multiple times in the neck and arm causing an accidental key-up to the Lake County Communications Center, the report said.
The juvenile then calmed down for a moment, the report said. As the deputy explained that she was going to be arrested for striking him, the juvenile became irate again and struck the deputy’s hand as he tried to place her in handcuffs.
The deputy advised the juvenile if she continued to resist, she would be placed on the ground. She was escorted to the main office where the deputy was able to place her in handcuffs.
Throughout the disruption, students would not go to class and multiple staff members had to clear the hallways and guard the doors for students not to interfere with the incident.
After the juvenile’s arrest, parents were notified of the incident, and school administration handled discipline. The juvenile was transported to the Lake County Jail without further incident.
