Latest news with #VirginiaStateHighSchoolLeagueChampionships
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Yahoo
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. More from Virginia Track Star Breaks Silence On Cracking Competitor In Head With Baton During Race Vivica A. Fox's Rumored BBL May Have 50 Cent Spinning The Block Swizz Beatz Infiltrates The Spirits Industry With The Producer Mezcal
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Yahoo
High school runner who hit opponent in head with baton faces assault and battery charge
A high school track athlete faces a misdemeanor charge of assault and battery after a now-viral video showed her hitting a competitor's head with her baton during a relay event. Alaila Everett, a senior at I.C. Norcom High School in Portsmouth, was running the second leg of the 4x200-meter relay when her baton struck Kaelen Tucker, a junior from Brookville High School, in the head. It happened March 4 during the Virginia State High School League Championships at Liberty University in Lynchburg. Bethany Harrison, the commonwealth's attorney for the city of Lynchburg, confirmed to ABC News on Wednesday that a misdemeanor charge of assault and battery was issued against Everett in the matter. Additional details on the case were not immediately available. Video of the incident showed Tucker staggering and reaching for her head after being hit before going off the track. She dropped her baton and was attended to by medical personnel shortly after the incident. She would later be diagnosed with a concussion, she told ABC affiliate WVEC in Hampton, Virginia. "I was so in disbelief," Tucker told WVEC. "I didn't know what happened." Everett contended that baton strike was an accident in an interview that aired Tuesday on "Good Morning America." "I would never do that on purpose," Everett said. "That's not in my character." MORE: High school runner who hit opponent in head with baton mid-race speaks out The 18-year-old said that during the race, her arm became stuck, and her baton inadvertently struck Tucker as they neared the corner of the track. "Her arm was literally hitting the baton -- until she got a little ahead, and my arm got stuck like this," she said while holding a baton to emphasize the movement. The Everetts say they believe their video shows that Tucker's proximity to their daughter led to an accidental collision. According to the family, Tucker was running too close to Everett when she tried to cut ahead, which caused Everett to lose her balance and the baton to make contact with Tucker. Following the incident, the athletic director at I.C. Norcom High School and Everett's father apologized to the Tucker family in a phone call, according to Tucker's parents. The Virginia High School League told ABC News on Monday that it is reviewing the incident. "The VHSL membership has always made it a priority to provide student-athletes with a safe environment for competition," the league said in a statement. MORE: Dad charged with assault for shoving 2 child referees at hockey game The Portsmouth NAACP said it is also reviewing the incident as well as "racial slurs and death threats" toward the Everett family. "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 while calling for Everett 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 Portsmouth NAACP said. "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." ABC News' Victoria Arancio contributed to this report. High school runner who hit opponent in head with baton faces assault and battery charge originally appeared on
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
High school runner who hit opponent in head with baton mid-race speaks out
Two high school runners are speaking out after a now-viral video showed one track star hitting her competitor in the head with a baton. During the Virginia State High School League Championships on March 3, Alaila Everett, a senior at I.C. Norcom High School in Portsmouth, was running the second leg of the 4x200-meter relay when her baton struck Kaelen Tucker, a junior from Brookville High School, in the head. The moment captured on camera showed Kaelen staggering and reaching for her head before falling off the track. "I just felt a bang on my head, and then I fell off the track immediately," Kaelen, a high school junior, said in an interview according to local ABC affiliate WVEC-TV. Kaelen dropped her baton and was attended to by medical personnel shortly after the incident. She would later be diagnosed with a concussion, she said. In an interview that aired Tuesday on "Good Morning America," Alaila, the runner whose baton hit Kaelen on the head, described the incident as an accident. "I would never do that on purpose," Alaila told ABC News. "That's not in my character." The 18-year-old high school senior said her family has received death threats since the incident and maintains that the collision was unintentional. She also provided video that shows a different angle from the race in an effort to help show what she says happened on the track. Alaila said that during the race, her arm became stuck, and her baton inadvertently struck Kaelen as they neared the corner. "Her arm was literally hitting the baton -- until she got a little ahead, and my arm got stuck like this," she said while holding a baton to emphasize the movement. The Everetts say they believe their video shows that Kaelen's proximity to Alaila led to an accidental collision. According to the family, Kaelen was running too close to Alaila when she tried to cut ahead, which caused Alaila to lose her balance and the baton to make contact with Kaelen. While the footage from the March 3 race has brought a wave of negative attention, Alaila said she hopes the new angle of the race will help the public see the incident from a different perspective. And, she said, it was never her intention to hurt anyone. Following the incident, the athletic director at I.C. Norcom High School and Alaila's father apologized to the Tucker family in a phone call, according to Kaelen's parents. The Virginia High School League told ABC News in a statement Monday, "We thoroughly review every instance like this." "The VHSL membership has always made it a priority to provide student-athletes with a safe environment for competition," the statement continued. High school runner who hit opponent in head with baton mid-race speaks out originally appeared on
