AND SHANE SUPERVILLE

SOUTH East Port of Spain Government Secondary School was dismissed early on Wednesday afternoon after students were involved in a series of fights.

Police said around 1pm, the school’s principal called in officers from the Inter Agency Task Force’s Duncan Street post to escort students off the premises.

In videos, which have since gone viral, students are seen fighting both inside and outside classrooms while others recorded the fights on their phones.

Sporadic fights were said to have occurred over a two-hour period. Several bins were also knocked over, spilling garbage.

Police said they needed to use pepper spray on one student, which also affected two other nearby students.

No one was arrested.

Besson Street Police Station is continuing enquiries.

Responding to questions over whether the police were able to respond with force against minors, acting DCP in charge of Intelligence and Investigations Curt Simon said officers once confronted by danger were within their rights to use the necessary force.

“The Use of Force Policy reacts to situation and not necessarily individuals and if any individual who perhaps put themselves in harm’s way may very well find themself being at the beckoning of the police.”

Simon added that he was only aware of the incident from social media and requested an official report on what happened.

Newsday contacted Education Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly for a comment but no response was provided.

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