Student charged after high school football game brawl

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — A Peachtree Ridge High School student will be charged with fighting after last week's post-football game brawl in the parking lot of the school following a game with rival Collins Hill High School.

The Gwinnett School District confirms it plans to charge Darrion Spence, 17, with affray or fighting. It is a misdemeanor charge. He may also face disciplinary actions by the school district.

"The School Resource Officer did meet with his parents throughout the investigation and planned to file this charge against the student," said district spokesperson Jorge Quintana. "The SRO is still investigating. He's still talking to students so there's the possibility that more students could be disciplined or more students could face charges for participating in that fight."

Police estimate between 150 and 200 students started fighting in and around the parking lot after the Peachtree Ridge vs. Collins Hill football game last week. The brawl spilled over into neighboring businesses.

Peachtree Ridge student Anna Christina Ramirez witnessed the brawl and said she tried to run away from it. She believes students from Collins Hill deserve to be charged as well.

"I think others should've gotten arrested, too," said Ramirez. "There was so much going on. A lot of violence."

Quintana said the district identifies big rivalry games where passions can get overheated and assigns additional school and county officers along with deputies to cover them.

He said there were 14 officers at the Peachtree Ridge vs. Collins Hill game last week, but it was not enough to stop the brawl.

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WSBTV