A school resource officer used a stun gun on a pair of 13-year-old students who were fighting at a middle school in Columbia Monday, according to the Richland County Sheriff’s Department.
The students were brawling at E.L. Wright Middle School, the sheriff’s department said in a news release. The Richland 2 school is on Alpine Road, near the junction of Interstate 20 and Interstate 77.
At about 11:30 a.m., the school resource officer learned there was a fight in a hallway, according to the release. He responded and saw the two students fighting and school personnel were not able to break apart the violent skirmish, the sheriff’s department said.
The officer then used his Taser to stun the students which stopped the fight, according to the release.
Information about why the students were fighting was not available.
There was no word on the students’ medical conditions following the fight and being hit with the stun gun, but they were cleared by EMS, the sheriff’s department said.
No other injuries were reported.
Both students were charged with third-degree assault and battery before being released to their parents, the sheriff’s department said.
Richland 2 and the sheriff’s department are working together to determine if the students will face any punishment from the district and school.