Friday, April 25th 2008, 11:14 pm
Tulsa Police were called to Lewis & Clark Middle School near 7th & Garnett to stop a fight involving several dozen children on Friday night. The News On 6's Emory Bryan reports witnesses say some children actually attacked the first police officers at the scene, as they were trying to help an injured boy.
Eighth grader, Tyler Benton was at the dance when the fight started.
"I have no idea what started it," said Benton.
Benton says it quickly spilled outside to the parking lot, where other kids started fighting too.
"Eventually there were about 20 fights going on, that didn't involve, just kids that didn't like each other, fights were breaking out everywhere," said Benton.
The police were called and the first officers on the scene found a 15-year-old boy down on the ground with other children beating him.
That's about the time Scott Sickler arrived to pick up Tyler.
"There was one officer down on his knees and he was literally guarding the kid with his body and he was swinging with one arm and trying to talk on his walkie talkie and the other one was literally at his feet trying to pull kids off and as soon as they would pull one kid off, other kids would come," said Sickler.
The police called for backup and several officers, with batons in hand, and tear gas canisters ready, pushed back the crowd.
EMSA transported a 15-year-old boy in fair condition, and treated a 12-year-old girl at the scene.
Benton says he was hit in the head and several other children went to hospitals with their parents.
Sickler says it was clear there wasn't enough security for the event and that it took a full police response to control the mob of children the first officers encountered.
"Several students were kicking officers and hitting officers and kicking the non-responsive student," said Sickler.
A Tulsa Public schools spokesperson said the event was not school sponsored, and the building had been rented out by the parent of an 8th grader.
Witnesses tell The News On 6 there were a number of children placed in handcuffs, but Tulsa police have not responded to repeated requests for information about whether or not anyone was arrested.
April 25th, 2008
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