Police fire Tasers to end melee at girls prep basketball game

PRATTVILLE, Ala. – A fight broke out in the stands of a girls high school basketball game, prompting police to fire Tasers to stop it and clear the gym, authorities said. Nine people face charges.

Witnesses said Tuesday night’s melee, involving dozens of fans, began in an upper deck and spilled onto the floor. It was apparently sparked by an earlier dispute between students of the two rival schools, Prattville and Stanhope Elmore.

“There were chairs being thrown and people running all over the place,” said witness Stan Davis. “I grabbed my 8-year-old daughter and we just tried to stay out of the way.”

“Initially, there were 30, then it started spreading like cockroaches,” said another parent, Joanne Heningburg.

Arrest warrants were issued for three adults and six juveniles, including three teens taken into custody Tuesday night, District Attorney Randall Houston said Thursday. Among the charges were assault, disorderly conduct and refusing to obey an officer, he said.

There had been a fight between students from the two schools at a fast-food restaurant last week, authorities said.

“Apparently the same two groups met up at the basketball game tonight, and the altercation continued,” Police Chief Alfred Wadsworth said.

Police hit some participants with Tasers, which can incapacitate a person with an electrical jolt, Wadsworth said.

The fight was captured on video and shown on television.

“People were screaming and running,” Prattville cheerleader Cherish Cartee said. “Girls lost their cell phones. Keys got lost. It’s something I will never forget.”