CHARLES COUNTY, Md. — Six high school students have been charged after assaulting an administrator and a Student Resource Officer (SRO) Thursday morning in Charles County.
According to the Charles County Sheriff's Office, around 10:20 a.m., a group of six students were threatening to hurt another student in the hallway of Thomas Stone High School, located on Leonardtown Road, in Waldorf. Once alerted of the incident, a SRO responded and informed the students they needed to leave the area, but they refused.
One of the students within the group then approached the officer, who was protecting the victim, and struck them. As the officer continued to try to shield the victim, they were pushed by another student who was trying to fight, the sheriff's office said.
An administrator was also assaulted while trying to prevent the fight from happening.
Pepper spray was then used by the officer to stop the attack. According to deputies, the six students were taken into custody and charged on juvenile offense reports with second degree assault and disrupting school activities.
The students were treated for exposure to the pepper spray by medical officials and, in accordance with Maryland law, they were later released into the custody of their parents. They also face disciplinary actions by Charles County Public Schools.
Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact PFC Payne at 301-609-3282 ext. 0452.