A video clip was sent to Crime Watch over the weekend from a concerned party that appears to show a student at Eagle Ridge Middle School in Savage, Minn., being attacked and beaten by at least two larger kids. The assault was reported to have occurred on Friday.
The brief video clip shows a white male student with his back to a bank of lockers when he appears to be confronted and pushed in the chest by a black male student who was physically larger. A second black male student joined in, and the two began repeatedly punching the white student. There appeared to be a large crowd surrounding the conflict, and there was a brief image of what appeared to be a possible staff member moving toward the altercation before the video cut off.
Information was not immediately available on what may have led up to the confrontation, and there was no indication that the school or the district had sent out any information to parents about the incident in the immediate aftermath.
The video clip quickly went viral and was picked up by the Daily Mail, among other media — but not local media. The Daily Mail reported that they reached out to the Savage Police Department for comment and were told by police that they hadn’t been contacted about the incident. The Daily Mail indicated they also reached out to Eagle Ridge Middle School but apparently didn’t receive a response.
At some point Saturday or Sunday, Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District 191 reportedly sent a message to parents acknowledging the violent incident. The district also acknowledged the incident in a comment on Facebook.
The @ISD191 school district's response.
Keep in mind, the Savage Police Department said they weren't contacted about this assault.https://t.co/1tgCxF8aRC
— CrimeWatchMpls (@CrimeWatchMpls) March 17, 2024
The district said that staff intervened immediately and “nearby students took appropriate actions so that the incident didn’t escalate” and was ended quickly.
The district indicated they couldn’t share info about the incident due to privacy concerns but said the incident was investigated and they would follow procedures for student behavior as outlined in the student handbook.
The district also stated that “when hundreds of teens and pre-teens are together, there will be conflict.”
The incident was just the latest in a series of violent incidents involving students at metro area schools.
Just this month, several violent incidents broke out in Roseville following a school cultural event. A school resource officer was also attacked and kicked in the head at Fridley High School while trying to break up a fight between students.
Earlier this year, there were also violent incidents at schools in St. Louis Park, Lakeville, St. Paul, and Minneapolis.
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Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.
Crime Watch MN
Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.
