So, judging by the news coming out of Worcester, it's ok to assault police officers? Well that's what a group of high school students and even a "parent" thought yesterday afternoon when 50 of them surrounded 4 uniformed officers and assaulted them, causing injury. Yup, you read that right, a "parent" too. I use quotes, because the proper definition of parent is "a person who brings up and cares for another". Well, when your child is attacking a uniformed police officer, and you jump in and help... you are not "Bringing up" anyone, and therefor you are not a parent. You are an a**hole!
Being in a crowd of 50 and surrounding a small group of police officers does not make you tough.
You know what makes you tough?
You are tough when you are a little girl in Afghanistan, and walking to school everyday when terrorists, your community, and even some in your own family do not want you to be educated!
You are tough when you save the lives of 36 fellow Marines while you are under attack in Afghanistan!
You are tough when you are a police officer who is surrounded, outnumbered, and ARMED, and you never take out your weapon to defend yourself because you are surrounded by KIDS!
So, to those students in Worcester I say this: The world is bigger than Worcester, and a hell of a lot meaner too. Since it's obvious that your "parents" are not going to teach you the life lessons that you need to learn, you are doomed to learn them the hard way!
Have fun learning them in jail! #EPICPARENTFAIL
Here are the specific details from www.WorcesterMA.Gov
Worcester, MA (December 10, 2012) - On Monday, December 10, 2012 at approximately 2:07 PM officers assigned to the Community Impact Division were stationed in the area of Hamilton Street and Harrington Way as North High School was letting out students for the day. The purpose of the officers' presence was due, in part, by an altercation on Friday, December 7, 2012 when a fight involving several students broke out when school was ending for the day. On that day an off-duty Worcester Police Officer was driving by the school when the students were getting out. The officer observed 3 students kicking and punching a person who was on the ground. The off duty officer stopped and exited his vehicle to break up the fight. The three youths then attacked the officer and beat him as well. Several police officers responded to the scene and disbursed the unruly crowd which now grew to approximately 30 students. The 3 aggressors were placed under arrest. Those arrested were 16 years old and charged with Assault and Battery on a Police Officer, Disorderly Conduct and Disturbing the Peace.
Today, as students were leaving for the day a 15 year old male walked by the officers and began to loudly yell profanities at the police officers present on Hamilton Street by Stratfield Street. This male was causing a disturbance for the neighbors as he continued to yell profanities at the police. At this time two officers approached this male and asked him to stop yelling swear words. The teen apologized to the officers and stated that he was on the basketball team and did not want to get into trouble. At this time, approximately 40 to 50 teens began to gather and surround the officers. The teens were ordered to stay back but they refused. The group started to chant to free the teen that the officers were talking to. The group continued to close in on the two officers. Fearing for their safety the officers called for assistance.
Several officers arrived at the scene and immediately ordered the crowd back. There were two main aggressors in the group, Mr. Emmanuel Natal, 18 years old and Ms. Jasmine Hudson, 17 years old. Ms. Hudson began to yell to the police that she did not have to leave while Mr. Natal pushed his way through the crowd clenching his fists and yelling and swearing at the officers present. At one point, Mr. Natal refused numerous orders to leave the area and attacked one of the officers by punching the officer twice in the chest. Mr. Natal was tackled to the ground by other nearby officers. Natal began to violently resist being placed under arrest. While this was taking place John Clough, 17 years old, jumped on an officer's back while they were securing Mr. Natal. Mr. Clough began to violently resist arrest and fought with two police officers. As a result, one of the officers broke his leg in two places when they all fell to the ground during the struggle.
A 15 year old male was now acting aggressive to a female officer at the scene. Two other officers encountered this male and were in the process of placing him under arrest when Ms. Hudson approached one of the officers and began to punch him in the face. At the same time, a 16 year old female began to punch the same officer in the back of his head. The nearby female officer pulled the 16 year old off of the officer and the teen began to pull the officer's hair and punch the officer in her face with a closed fist.
Ms. Hudson was physically subdued and placed under arrest. Meanwhile the mother of the 16 year old female, Elsie Rivera, 37 years old, got in between the police and her daughter and tried to separate the daughter from the police. Ms. Rivera began to punch the female officer in the arm to try to free her daughter while the daughter was still actively resisting arrest. Ms. Rivera was placed under arrest and her daughter was eventually subdued and placed under arrest.
Ms. Rivera and her 16 year old daughter were both charged with Assault and Battery on a Police Officer, Resisting Arrest, Disorderly Conduct and Disturbing the Peace. The 15 year old male was charged with Disorderly Conduct and Disturbing the Peace. Ms. Hudson, Mr. Natal and Mr. Clough were all charged with Assault and Battery on a Police Officer, Resisting Arrest, Disorderly Conduct and Disturbing the Peace. The 15 year old male who instigated this incident was not in the area when the crowd was eventually under control.
The police officer was transported to a nearby hospital by Worcester EMS where he will be treated for his leg injury; his injuries will keep him out of work for several weeks.
