HERO COP SHIELDS HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT FROM MOB

Virginia school's resource officer goes viral for his role during a massive brawl 

 

By Yasmin Tinwala  

 

meaww

September 25, 2021

 

 

Chesterfield County Police Chief Jeffrey S. Katz posted a grab that shows resource officer Anthony Bowen use his body to protect a student from a mob

 

 

Chesterfield County Police lauded a Virginia school resource officer for his role during a school brawl involving dozens of students. A huge fight broke out at the Meadowbrook High School in the afternoon on September 23 and police, fire department, and the EMS were called on to the scene to regulate the situation. Cops said so all departments present were necessary due to rumors of weapons being used in the fight. A parent of a sophomore told NBC12 that she could hear students saying knives were being pulled out during the brawl. 

A fight like this at an educational institute is rare and in the past we've reported on similar scattered incidents. For instance, 15 and 16-year-old students at Oakville High School, Missouri were taken into custody for violently tackling the assistant principal to the ground and beating him up after he tried to break up a fight. In July this year, two Boston cops were hospitalized after McKinley School students attacked them after they tried to intervene during a school bus brawl. A teacher at Frederick Douglass High School, Atlanta, was hospitalized after a student savagely punched him for trying to break up a fight with another student. 

Brawl at Meadowbrook High School

 

 

Chesterfield County Police Cheif lauded Anthony Bowen's selflessness

Chesterfield County police chief Col. Jeffrey S. Katz lauded Anthony Bowen in a lengthy Facebook post. "Many of you have undoubtedly seen the video that’s been making its way around social media of the large fight - involving dozens of students - that took place yesterday at one of our local schools. Out of respect for the innocent students and in an effort to not glorify the violence, I have elected to not share the video link.
I want to highlight a piece of this video that I found particularly compelling. 

"Chesterfield County Police School Resource Officer Anthony Bowen used his body to shield a young man from a mob attacking a student. The officer was struck several times in the process. Reasonable people can disagree about the role of officers in school; however, only an unreasonable person can make the argument that students are safer in schools when officers are removed from assignments where they can build relationships with the youth in our community and come to the aid of others when threatened with violence…which, unfortunately, is a common feature within all modern social endeavors.

"This officer conducted himself bravely, selflessly, and without regard for his own well-being. That’s how our people are expected to perform and with rare exception, that’s how we conduct business. We are human, and we often work within challenging conditions, under great stress, and with incomplete information. We don’t claim to be perfect, but our hearts are virtuous and our mission is noble. I’m proud of this officer, thankful for his service, and want to make it known exactly why I remain committed to ensuring our children remain safe within their learning environments. Thank you, Anthony," the post concluded.