Middletown Public Schools said they're anticipating numerous arrests after a fight broke out at a high school basketball game earlier this week.
A fight broke out between students and adult spectators at the varsity basketball game between Middletown and Weaver high schools Tuesday night.
School officials said some student-athletes acted in an "unsportsmanlike" manner, which caused a fight to break out involving both adults and students.
The school district said police are in the process of making several arrests in connection to the fight. Officials say the arrests come on the heels of a police investigation where officers reviewed camera footage, conducted interviews, and consulted with the State's Attorney and school district leaders.
Get Connecticut local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Connecticut newsletters.
“The safety and security of our students, staff, and families is of the utmost importance. What occurred after Tuesday’s game was highly disappointing. This is behavior that we will never accept from our students nor from adults while on school grounds," said Superintendent Dr. Vazquez Matos.
A Middletown schools spokesperson said the school district and police worked together to properly identify those involved in the fight.
"The district will continue to work with our community to ensure that all district sponsored events are family-friendly gatherings," Vazquez Matos said.
Local
Former Fairfield Police Chief Gary MacNamara said he’s noticed fights like these happening more often.
“Through a combination of maybe the pandemic and maybe the lack of structure and discipline overall that we’re starting to see people believe this type of outburst or behavior is appropriate,” he said.
MacNamara said the spread of cell phone cameras and social media can provide assistance in figuring out who needs to face discipline or arrest.
“You have a lot of people involved. Hard to identify them. But with all the technology and different angles, you’re going to have a better opportunity to identify who’s involved,” he said.
MacNamara said people should realize this is just a game involving kids and while competitive emotions are understandable, it should never escalate to violence.
“The whole point of these games is to enjoy the activity and not let it get to this point,” he said.
The fight is being investigated by the police department. A school spokesperson said officers were able to quickly control the situation.
The school district postponed all home athletic events on Wednesday as a result of the incident.
