CRIME
Prince George's police use pepper spray to break up student fight after basketball game
Trying to break up a fight between students after a high school basketball game Friday night, police officers were surrounded by a large crowd and used pepper spray to disperse the crowd, Prince George's County Police say.
It happened outside the gym at Friendly High School in Fort Washington after a boys basketball game between Friendly and Crossland High School.
Two Prince George's County officers were working security at the basketball game when they saw a fight in the bleachers. They went to escort a person out of the bleachers when about 20 people surrounded them and began to push and shove them. As a result, one of the officers and the student that he was escorting fell down the bleachers. Th officer suffered injuries to the knees.
As other officers tried to help the injured officer, the crowd started closing in on them. One officer was hit in the back of the head and a school window and cruiser window were broken at which point, officers decided to use pepper spray, police said.
One man and four juveniles were arrested. Three of the five have been charged with assault.
The two officers hospitalized after the game have been released. No other injuries were reported.
Briant Coleman, a spokesperson for the Prince George's County Schools, tells ABC7, "We are aware of the situation tonight at Friendly High School and we will work with local police to investigate this incident fully."
The school is working with Prince George's Police to find out what happened but is also working on conducting their own, independent, internal investigation to make sure students are treated fairly.
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