CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. — A 15-year-old student charged in a large fight at Clover Hill High School Tuesday says she and her friends are not in a gang.
Three of the four students were charged with a variety of crimes, including criminal street gang participation and gang activity in a gang-free school zone, after an early morning fight broke out. Chesterfield police said one of the students, a 17-year-old male, was Tasered by the school resource officer who was attempting to break-up the fight.
Takeana Minicks, who was charged with assault, told CBS 6 News that she and her friends call themselves "Finesse," but maintains that it is just a nickname for their group of friends.
Takeana Minicks and Natasha Byrd
“We’re not in a gang. It’s just what we call each other," Minicks said. "It’s called Finesse Gang. But it's really not a gang, we're just family -- that's all."
Minicks said an Instagram post prompted the brawl, which she said started at the bus drop off area and then spilled into the cafeteria. That's when video captured the chaos in which Minicks said she was punched in the head by two different people and bitten.
Natasha Byrd, Takeana's mother, said her daughter and her three friends were defending themselves against the other group of students. She questions why none of those other students have been been charged.
“It was just four of them,” Natasha Byrd said. “It doesn’t make sense that the four get punished and the other 12 did not."
April Gray
April Gray, the mother of one of the 17-year-old students arrested, said her son is the boy in the white shirt being hit in the video.
“I’m appalled by the video because my child is on the ground being beaten,” Gray said. “And he’s now under arrest with felony charges.”
Byrd and Gray are upset that they were not contacted by school officials or police earlier. The women said they learned about the fight from friends.
School officials said that they were able to reach all the parents of students involved in the fight by the afternoon.
Additionally, some parents told CBS 6 News that they were concerned by a "vague" email sent home after the fight.
Police said their investigation is ongoing and that additional charges could be filed in this case. If you have information -- or video of the incident that could help investigators, call Crime Solvers at 804-748-0660.
Chesterfield Public Schools officials deferred questions about the incident to police.
Depend on CBS 6 News and WTVR.com for the most complete updates on this important local story.
