Brutal fight erupts at West Meck High caught on video. 7 students arrested

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools will increase security at West Mecklenburg High School on Friday after police charged seven students in connection with multiple fights across the campus Thursday.

Police charged six students with simple affray. Another student was arrested on a charge of assault on a government official after an officer was pushed while helping place the school on lockdown after the fights. One student was hurt after smashing a window during a fight with another student, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police said. The injury was minor, according to police.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg and CMS police went to the campus on Tuckaseegee Road in west Charlotte after a school resource officer called for help at about 12:45 p.m. Police stayed at the school as a precaution until regular school dismissal.

In 2015-16, the most recent year for which state tallies are available, West Meck had one of the highest rates of criminal and violent acts of any CMS school. That included 47 incidents of drug possession, 18 students with weapons other than guns and seven assaults on school employees.

CMS will discipline students found to be involved in the fights according to the CMS student code of conduct.

Along with extra security Friday, CMS said it will “respond further and as needed to protect the safety and well-being of students and staff. … CMS is committed to a safe learning environment at all of its campuses and the district takes any incident that threatens the safety and well-being of students and staff or disrupts the learning environment very seriously.”

This story was originally published December 7, 2017 at 5:21 PM with the headline "Brutal fight erupts at West Meck High caught on video. 7 students arrested."