A Umatilla juvenile was arrested after getting into a physical altercation with another student at Umatilla Middle School.
A deputy was informed by school administration at Umatilla Middle School, located at 305 E. Lake St., that a fight occurred in the elective hallway during school dismissal around 4 p.m. Tuesday, according to an arrest report from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
The deputy met with the school administration who advised that both the juvenile suspect and the other student were separated and held in different rooms. While reviewing camera footage, the deputy observed both students mutually engage in a physical altercation. They struck each other with closed fists, the report said.
The juvenile suspect was seen punching the other student in the face, which caused him to bleed excessively out of his nose. Despite this, they both continued to fight. Multiple students circled around, taking out their cellphones, yelling and running around to get assistance from an adult, the report said.
The deputy then observed two staff members trying to separate the two students. After a few moments, they were separated and discontinued the physical altercation, the report said.
The report noted that during the incident, multiple students had to be redirected and physically placed on the school bus or escorted to their designated dismissal area as multiple students began to become verbally combative in retaliation for the other student’s injury.
Additionally, the juvenile suspect was previously issued Work in Lieu of Arrest, a civilian program that affords nonviolent juvenile misdemeanor offenders an alternative to arrest, the report said.
The juvenile suspect was arrested on charge of affray and transported to Lake County Jail. He was processed and ultimately released.