High School Runner To Face Criminal Charges After Striking Opponent In Head With Baton
The high school athlete who bashed a competitor in the head with her baton during a track meet in Virginia is now facing criminal charges.
Alaila Everett, the teenager at the center of the alleged attack, has been charged with misdemeanor assault and battery, Bethany Harrison, the commonwealth's attorney for the city of Lynchburg, confirmed to ABC News on Wednesday (March 12).
Everett, a senior at I.C. Norcom High School in Portsmouth, and her mother have vehemently denied accusations that she struck Kaelen Tucker, the alleged victim, in the head intentionally, deeming the act accidental.
According to Everett, Tucker, a junior from Brookville High School, was running in close proximity to her during the second leg of the 4×200-meter relay in which they both were competing.
At one point during the race, Everett claims her baton got stuck behind Tucker's back, causing it to accidentally hit Tucker as she lost her balance.
'I know my intentions and I would never hit someone on purpose,' Everett told a local news outlet following the incident, which occurred on Tuesday (March 4) during the Virginia State High School League Championships at Liberty University.
However, Tucker's mother, Tamarro Tucker, thinks otherwise, pointing out Everett's seeming lack of contrition for injuring her daughter, who suffered a concussion and possible skull fracture as a result of the incident.
'My whole thing was no apology,' Tamarro said in an interview with WSET. 'Like, no coaches, no athlete, no anything. Even if it was an accident — which I don't believe it was — but nothing. And it's been more than 24 hours now. So I guess that was the major thing. My child was hurt and nobody came to check on her.'
Everett's case and the backlash surrounding it, which have included 'racial slurs and death threats' towards her and her family, has drawn the attention of the Portsmouth NAACP, which has come to Everett's defense.
'We are committed collectively to ensuring that the criminal justice system, which we feel is not warranted in this situation, is executed fairly and based on due process,' the organization said in a statement on Wednesday (March 12), calling for the teen to be 'void of any criminal proceedings.'
'From all accounts, she is an exceptional young leader and scholar whose athletic talent has been well-documented and recognized across our state,' the statement continued.
'She has carried herself with integrity both on and off the field and any narrative that adjudicates her guilty of any criminal activity is a violation of her due process rights.'
See footage of the controversial track incident below.
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