Every 5 minutes there was another fight, student said during today's melee at East High

YOUNGSTOWN

Students and police inside East High School when a series of fights broke out Tuesday morning all agree that the scene was chaotic.

Brenda Kimble, school board president, said the fight that led to early dismissal Tuesday and the school being closed today started over a pair of scuffed shoes.

More than two dozen officers responded to the school after a fight at about 11:10 a.m. that was broken up, then escalated into a series of several other fights – resulting in chemical spray being used to help control those brawling.

At least five students were taken to the Martin P. Joyce Juvenile Justice Center on charges of disorderly conduct. Lt. Ramon Cox, head of the department’s Family Investigative Services Unit, who will spearhead the investigation, said the charges could be upgraded after the students are interviewed by investigators.

Several students, who said they were not fighting, said they were still hit by chemical spray, with some complaining they were sprayed directly by police. Others said they were in a lower level of the school and the chemical cloud fell upon them.

Despite the complaints, not one student was seen to be transported by paramedics or treated by medical personnel who were both at the scene.

“It was crazy,” said freshman Dasean McRae. “Every five minutes someone was running into the office saying there was another fight.” He said the situation was tense, but he wasn’t scared.

Junior Torrence Mosley said he was throwing punches, too, after someone hit him, and at one point he said he was tackled by a teacher and then sprayed by a police officer.

“I was getting jumped,” Mosley said.

Read more about the situation in Wednesday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.