KENT COUNTY, Mich. — The male student shown repeatedly kicking a female student in the face in a viral video has been charged in the incident, Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker said.
The teen, whose name is not being released, has been charged with one count of assault and battery.
The video, which was taken at East Kentwood High School, was posted to social media on Thursday. The video shows a male student repeatedly kicking a female student in the face and head in a hallway at the high school. You can also see a crowd of other students watching the fight.
Becker said his decision was made using additional information outside the video.
"While the video captures part of the incident, this video did not capture the entire incident," he said in a release. "The decision to file this charge is based on all of the facts available, witness interviews, and additional video, beyond what is only shared on social media."
Becker went on to say that this incident serves a reminder for students to alert those in authority when they see conflicts escalate between students.
"Find a faculty member, find a teacher, find somebody else in authority, don't want any kids probably getting involved in any sort of fight, because they know they can be caught up in it as well. So I think the biggest thing would be find somebody to intervene at that point in time."
"I think de escalation is a good term to use," said Becker.
East Kentwood High School Principal Omar Bakri sent a letter to parents last week calling the incident "disturbing and unacceptable."
The video was shared to Facebook Thursday afternoon and in just two hours was shared over 2,000 times.
Dozens of concerned parents and community members arrived at the Kentwood Public Schools Administration Building, saying that the incident was an emergency situation, and wanting to speak with the superintendent.
"We want community engagement and involvement in the investigation. We want workshops moving forward, we want violence prevention, we want conflict resolution, and we also definitely want mental health resources available to those children," said concerned community member Erykai Cage.
Those who were at the administration building were first asked to wait outside, but upon entering the building, were met by administrators, who then asked to meet with five community members selected by those present. After expressing their disagreement, school officials then held a forum with those present to hear concerns and answer questions.
"We talked to them and made them understand that we came as a unit and we want to be heard as a unit, and they complied with that. And right now, they're in there speaking as a unit," said William Braylock as he was leaving the building.
"They're just listening," Braylock added when asked to describe the forum, as media had been asked by school officials to leave the building prior to the start.
"We want to assure you that we are investigating this matter fully to discover what led up to the incident, and we will respond in the appropriate manner to address this situation," Principal Bakri said in the letter.
The cause of the fight is still unclear at this time.
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