Three arrested after fight at Knightdale High

Knightdale, N.C. — Three students were arrested after several fights broke out Wednesday morning in the cafeteria at Knightdale High School, according to police.

Lyndon Earl Ore, 16, and Prentise Ja’vaughn Wilkins, 17, were each charged with simple affray and disorderly conduct after police said they started fighting just before 10:30 a.m.

Police said Darren Strawder, 18, was trying to jump into the fight and took a swing at an officer who was trying to detain him. He is charged with one count of assault on a government official.

“I attempted to take him into custody, and that’s when he started fighting. He actually swung on me, and I suffered a small injury from it,” Knightdale Police Chief Shawn Brown said.

Ore and Strawder were released Wednesday from the Wake County jail each on a $1,500 bond. Wilkins remained in jail under a $1,500 bond. All three will appear in court on Sept. 17 at 2 p.m.

About 40 officers descended on the school after a fight broke out in the cafeteria. Several other fights also started with the biggest one with three people involved. About 6 to 12 students were involved altogether, police said.

“It was like once one fight ends, the next would start,” said senior Kyana Parker.

Knightdale police contacted other agencies for help.

Because Knightdale High operates on a "smart lunch" program, the school's more-than-1,900 students were at lunch at the time. It was unclear exactly how many students were in the cafeteria though, because students can use other facilities at the school or leave campus during that period.

Authorities estimated hundreds of students were in the cafeteria and that, as more fights started, more students converged on the cafeteria.

School staff cut the lunch period short because of the fights, and some parents picked up their students early.

Wake County Public School System spokesman Greg Thomas said classes resumed by noon.

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I go to Knightdale High. We all knew the SMART lunch program wouldn't work and I think administration sees why. it was a good idea in theory, but 2000 students crowded together is a bit much. I'm not entirely sure why wral showed up, but they were at our school almost instantly. It amazes me how fast media will appear at something that isn't really news worthy. It was a few fights at a high school. That's nothing new. People fight in high schools all the time. Why they sent a helicopter to the school is beyond me.

ChaosInTheCrypt
September 17, 2009 4:47 p.m.

your children don't care what you think or want them to be exposed to.

foetine
September 17, 2009 3:12 p.m.

"Not being racist, but this is why people don't like Socio-Economic diversity based busing from the inner city to the suburbs. The only times that the kids who live in the suburb are exposed to this kind of behavior is at school when a small fraction of the population create these kind of problems." ~thdontlikeedwards In addition to not feeling racist in our hearts, we have to be careful b/c not to come across that way b/c it is such a touchy subject. When stating objections to bussing, I think it's really important to talk about it in terms of an incomplete effort to integrate society. If our neighborhoods are essentially segregated and it's rare that our socio-econ circles overlap, the noble attempt to integrate schools doesn't stand much of a chance. If we do a poor job specifying the problem, we WILL sound racist, and then communication breaks down completely.

jackflash123
September 17, 2009 3:05 p.m.

"Could not have said it better myself. Parents that home-school think they are really doing a big favor to their child. But they are harming them in many ways. Isolated from other children and sports, etc. They will not be able to keep them closed in, when they turn 18, Lord help them in the world they were isolated from." ~Prof, responding to SME2.

I agree w/ SME2 about the folly of homeschooling parents thinking they have the answer to everything, but my agreement ends there. Homeschooling families usually have one parent who stays home, or whose work schedule allows for one parent or the other to be home whenever the child is. That's a pretty solid recipe for avoiding gangs. Stranger things have happened, but it's a bit weak to play the "Oooh, how can you be so sure?" card. Also, the old ideas about homeschooling robbing kids of valuable socializing opportunities really don't apply as often anymore. It used to, but now they network and interact w/ lots of people.

jackflash123
September 17, 2009 3:00 p.m.

For those who are saying fights happen daily and are not newsworthy...I agree that there is probably bigger news. However, parents and the public should not accept daily fights and/or large, violent fights as the norm in any school. They are an indication of a bigger problem that is usually correctable.