Police use pepper spray to break up Louisiana school fight; 14 students arrested

Published 9:18 pm Thursday, September 16, 2021

More than a dozen students at a Louisiana high school were arrested after a fight Thursday, Caddo Parish Sheriff Steve Prator said.

Around 3 p.m., the school resource officer assigned to Southwood High School, Cpl. Calvin Williams, responded to a fight at the campus courtyard in front of the student center. At one point, Williams called for backup and at least nine deputies came to help.

Fourteen students, all boys, were taken into custody. Each will face a charge of disturbing the peace. One student also will be charged with battery of a school teacher for punching the assistant school principal. Another student, 18-year-old Devin Welch, was pepper sprayed and hand-cuffed after he resisted arrest and made threatening statements to Williams and one of the school’s staff members. He will be charged with resisting an officer and interference with the operation of a school.

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Welch was taken to the Caddo Correctional Center. It was unknown if he has an attorney who could speak on his behalf.

The others were released to their parents’ custody.