Police arrest 3 more students after Fridley melee that injured SRO Nico Wallat
FRIDLEY, Minn. — Police arrested three more students for a massive fight at Fridley High School. Investigators say they believe one student kicked a school resource officer in the head.
Cell phone video caught the incident Thursday in the school's parking lot. City officials call the violence "unacceptable."
"I want them to be prosecuted," Fridley Mayor Scott Lund said.
The city identified Nico Wallat as the officer seriously injured by a student during the fight. Police say Wallat separated a 14- and 15-year-old, and then a 16-year-old bystander allegedly kicked him in the head.
Wallat was then taken to North Memorial Health, where he was monitored and treated overnight before being released early Friday morning.
"It could have been much worse, let's put it that way," Lund said. "I think that the students need to appreciate the fact that this is a significant, severe issue and it's got to be taken not lightly."
Jim Mortenson, with Law Enforcement Labor Services, says there's been more violence against first responders just in recent weeks than there has been in months.
"It's just getting out of control," Mortenson said. "I've never seen this type of violence. When I started my career, it was an anomaly. Now it's becoming the norm."
Lund is grateful Wallat was there to do his job, something that wasn't a guarantee not that long ago.
"Fridley's been the only city in all of Anoka that has kept our SROs in schools in the schools, whereas the rest have pulled out because of what occurred last legislative session," Lund said.
Police arrested a total of six students, including the 16-year-old accused of kicking the officer in the head. She faces three counts of felony assault.