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IPS investigates high school fight caught on camera

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indianapolis Public Schools is investigating a fight caught on camera. The video was first uploaded onto YouTube and has been viewed hundreds of times across social media.

Cellphone video captured what happened as dozens of Northwest High School students were trying to get to class Tuesday.

A teenage girl is seen on camera stopping in the middle of the hallway as she is confronted by a fellow classmate. That classmate, a boy, appears to throw the first punch, pushing her against the lockers as she quickly falls to the ground.

Moments later, he could be seen hovering over her throwing more punches. A teacher could be heard yelling in the background for them to stop.

Some Northwest parents tell 24-Hour News 8 they couldn’t believe what they were seeing.

“They need to put more people out in the hallways to make sure that people pay attention to what’s going on,” said Tameca Niemann, a concerned parent. “There are too many students in the hallway. If that was a break in between time or whatever, they should have somebody out there.”

The person who uploaded the video onto YouTube and didn’t want to be identified on camera.

“It’s seriously just a matter of time before it gets worst unless someone steps in,” said the uploader.

The person tells 24-Hour News 8 the video was sent to them by a teacher at the school, who wanted to shed light on what they believe is a growing problem behind closed doors.

“They’ve been telling me about how bad the school has gotten. How the fights are so out of control and it’s happening so frequently. It’s just got to the point where we were like, we need someone to see what’s going on.”

IPS issued a statement following the incident:

Northwest Community High School protocol calls for staff members to diffuse the situation verbally, then signal for support from administrations and school police. School and district administrators are arranging appropriate disciplinary action, and IPS police officers are collaborating with the prosecutor’s office to determine any potential legal actions. Indianapolis Public Schools’ lead administrators are investigating today’s situation at Northwest to ensure our students are served in the best possible ways.

IPS police say they are reviewing witness statements, cellphone video, and school surveillance video.