BELOIT - An Alliance woman was charged with assault after fighting with a female juvenile in the West Branch high school parking lot after the West Branch-Marlington girls game Wednesday night.
Goshen Township police arrested Markeeya Napier, 18, of Ansley St., Alliance, according to Goshen Township Police Chief Steven McDaniel who was working a security detail for a basketball game with another officer.
An assault charge against the 16-year-old juvenile was referred to juvenile court. She is not a resident of the Goshen Township Police district.
Both officers were in the lobby at 8:52 p.m. when a large crowd came in advising there was a fight between two males in the parking lot, McDaniel said. He responded and attempted to make contact when he heard yelling screaming from another fight involving the two females.
A large crowd was in a circle around them and they were on the ground hitting one another. Police attempted to separate them. One was striking the other in the face and head. As McDaniel tried to separate them, Napier pulled free and again struck the other person. Once separated, McDaniel identified himself as a police officer and ordered them to desist.
Napier was placed against a vehicle and as McDaniel turned to the other person, Napier, he said, "clenched her fist and drew back causing me to believe she was attempting to strike this officer." She was placed under arrest and handcuffed.
The report said that another officer arrived and took the other female, a juvenile, into custody and she was handcuffed.
"As both officers were escorting the females into the high school, the large crowd was very upset, still yelling and screaming that Markeeya was pregnant and that she should not be handcuffed due to her pregnancy," the report said It said police warned several people that they would be arrested if they failed to desist and leave.
Both woman were taken to the gym and separated and at 9:06 p.m. the police dispatcher was advised to have both (township) road units and the Beloit Fire Department respond.
The pregnant woman was checked and refused treatment, advising she was not injured or in pain from the incident.
The juvenile had lacerations and bruises on her face and head. She advised she had problems with other female for three years and after a verbal confrontation she pushed her away and they began hitting each other.
Larry Shields can be reached at lshields@salemnews.net
