A BB gun and knife were confiscated and eight students were arrested Friday morning after a series of fights broke out in the hallways at the Academy of Richmond County.
The fights were captured in a series of shocking videos that show punches being thrown as staff tried furiously to stop them at the Augusta school. The video showed staff members wrestling students to the ground as their classmates rushed away or stood nearby recording the chaos.
According to ARC Principal Jason Medlin, the high school was placed on Public Safety Alert status as a result of the fights.
“While investigating the incidents, school administrators and School Safety and Security Officers located a pocketknife and a BB gun,” Medlin said in a letter to parents. “School safety was maintained and no students or staff were harmed or injured.”
Among those arrested were six juveniles as well as two older teens who were expected to be booked into the Richmond County Detention Center as adults. One 16-year-old student was headed to the Regional Youth Detention Center. One of the student’s charges involved possession of a weapon on school grounds, authorities said.
In his email, the principal again asked parents to “take this opportunity to speak to your child about the importance of school safety, their personal safety and the appropriateness of items they bring to school.”
Parents and students were urged to report safety concerns to the school office or by calling the Richmond County School System Tip Line at 706-828-1077.
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Greg Rickabaugh is the Jail Report contributor for The Augusta Press. Reach him at greg.rickabaugh@theaugustapress.com
