Teenage Girl, 3 Others Charged In Enfield High School Disturbance

ENFIELD, CT — A 15-year-old girl was recently arrested at Enfield High School after police said she was involved in a disturbance then punched an officer. Three other students were also arrested in connection with the disturbance, police said.

On Feb. 20 at 9:24 a.m., school principal Erin Clark requested the help of a school resource officer for an incident near the school store, according to Enfield Police Chief Alaric Fox. Officer Joe Fillmore responded and encountered Clark trying to block the girl from going down the hallway "in pursuit of a male student who had been harassing her on social media," Fox said.

The girl pushed past Clark and Fillmore intervened, holding her and attempting repeatedly to calm her down, Fox said. The girl tried to break away from Fillmore, stating, "I'm gonna throw down on you if you don't let me go," Fox said.

She continued to attempt to break free, and began punching Fillmore in the chest and left arm, Fox said. After being punched repeatedly, Fillmore advised the girl she was being placed under arrest, but she continued to try to pull away, forcing the officer to take her to the floor, Fox said.

A cell phone video taken by a bystander and sent directly to a Connecticut media outlet, which was viewed repeatedly by Patch editors, shows the girl resisting arrest and Fillmore taking her down by placing his right leg behind her left leg and bringing her to the floor. The girl continued to resist arrest until Clark grabbed hold of her leg while Fillmore got the girl into a seated position and placed her in handcuffs.

Fox told Patch he will not authorize release of the cell phone footage, nor that of the school's closed circuit video, "due to juveniles being depicted in a school setting."

Numerous other students were near the scene screaming, and the school was placed in a "secure the building" mode. Three students deemed to be disruptive at the scene were contained in a nearby classroom, after being prevented from intervening in the incident by school staff, Fox said.

The 15-year-old girl has thus far been charged with second-degree breach of peace and interfering with an officer; she was referred to juvenile court.

A 17-year-old boy was charged with second-degree breach of peace and possession of less than a half-ounce of marijuana, while a pair of 16-year-old boys were each charged with second-degree breach of peaced and referred to juvenile authorities, Fox said.