Another fight results in 4 spectator arrests at Richmond girls basketball game
RICHMOND, Ind. — Tuesday night, a fight broke out among fans at the Richmond girls basketball game. According to a statement from Richmond Community Schools, the "disturbing behavior" of some spectators led to four arrests.
"Richmond Community Schools is committed to the highest standards for our students and athletes," a release stated. "Their actions are not representative of our district and should not be used to determine the character of our students and staff."
No players, coaches or other fans were in any danger, the release stated. The incident only involved the four people who were arrested, security personnel and Richmond High School administrators.
"Richmond Community Schools, and Richmond High School specifically, are home to some of the brightest, kindest and most responsible young people in the area," the release stated. "There are many wonderful, innovative and remarkable things happening at our schools. Our school climate is safe, welcoming and positive, and our students and staff are valuable beyond measure."
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As a result of Tuesday's incident, extra security and safety measures have been put in place moving forward. Wayne County Sheriff Randy Retter told The Palladium-Item on Thursday he didn't want to release the exact updated measures for the sake of security, but he did say officials were considering many options, such as increasing the number of security personnel and specifically organizing all staff involved.
"Rest assured, we are looking at all avenues to increase the security and safety at these events," Retter said. "We're trying to take a broad view of this to make sure we cover all the bases."
The sheriff declined to release any details about those arrested or what charges they might face, saying that information was not ready yet.
There was another fight at a Richmond girls' basketball game Nov. 12, after which the Tiernan Center was evacuated before the teams finished the game in a gymnasium empty except for the teams. With Tuesday being the second incident of its kind in three weeks, Retter said the sheriff's department is looking into the possibility of any commonalities between the two. He said he was working closely with the school corporation to prevent anything like this from happening in the future. As of now, school officials have declared the two incidents are separate, unrelated events.
Retter said this has been a fairly new problem in Richmond. Occasionally, he added, there will be "arguments or scuffles" at athletic events, but having games stop altogether because of them is not common.
"I firmly believe the kids going to the school should have the opportunity to play their sports uninhibited," Retter said, "and the parents, friends and family of the student-athletes need to be able to come to these events and not be concerned about having problems."
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Zach Piatt reports on sports and education for The Palladium-Item. Contact him at zpiatt@gannett.com or on Twitter @zachpiatt13.
This article originally appeared on Richmond Palladium-Item: Fight results in 4 spectator arrests at Richmond girls basketball game
