Three teens charged after school brawl

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - Police officers rushed to the scene outside a high school in Buffalo to break up a fight on Monday and now three teens are facing a slew of charges.

Buffalo Police were called to DaVinci High School on Porter Avenue when a fight broke out between students and non-students. Initially, police said five people were taken into custody, two adults and three teens. But now police say only three teens will be facing charges.

It is not the typical activity you might expect at a school like DaVinci, according to School Board Member Lou Petrucci, who says the school is recognized as one of the nation's top high schools. 

"DaVinci is one of our highest performing schools. This is an aberration. We're going to do all we can to keep it an isolated event," Petrucci said.

Two 16-year-olds and an 18-year-old, all girls, were arrested. Authorities say a police officer and school security guard were struck while attempting to break up the altercation.

Petrucci said, "Apparently it was an affair of the heart. Something went out over social media between a student and her boyfriend. She asked for help from friends and family, and it kind of escalated from there."

The three teens are charged with disorderly conduct, trespassing and harassment.

"These things are going to happen on occasion. They will bubble up," Petrucci said. "Our goal as a district is to make sure that they're just that, that they're isolated events. They're handled as quickly and as properly as possible."

Buffalo Teachers Federation President Phil Rumore added, "Any kind of acts of violence has to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law to make sure that it doesn't happen again."

Police say no one was seriously injured. School administration called it a police matter.

"It is very out of character, but the bottom line is that, that's even more of a reason to make sure there's swift and positive action so that the rest of the students at the next school know that this can't happen again," Rumore said.