HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — Henrico County community members are calling on school and law enforcement leaders to do more after multiple student altercations carried into a nearby shopping center, with a two-vehicle crash to follow.
Both incidents occurring Friday afternoon just after 4 p.m., on Sept. 15, following a pep rally at Highland Springs High School.
The Henrico Police Division said student altercations began on school property, prompting student resource officers to use OC spray — or pepper spray — to de-escalate the situation.
The student-involved fights spilled over into the shopping center next door, where police were then dispatched.
Moments after, officials said a woman driving an SUV sped into the parking lot of the center and crashed into a United States Postal Service mail carrier van — causing it to overturn and eject the man who was inside.
The mail man was transported to the hospital with life-threatening injuries, while the woman was charged with reckless driving and released on a summons.
Two teenagers were also struck by the SUV, who drove themselves to the hospital. While they are expected to be okay, the status of the mail carrier is unknown.
8News spoke with a parent of a freshman the school, Willie Hines, who said that before looking to the students, accountability must be placed on the parents.
“Our parents got to get back with our children and start saying, ‘if you’re going to the football game, you’re going to the game. If you’re going just to look for somebody to start trouble, then I’m not going to allow you to go,’” Hines said.
After attending a few events with his son amid a new school year, Hines was able to experience the new athletic event security measures put in place by school administrators early Sept.
“They scanned us, made us take stuff out of our pockets,” said Hines, “It looked more calm on the inside, so, a lot of the measures… they worked.”
The problem, Hines said, is what school and law enforcement leaders will do for those who frequent property outside school grounds.
Many storefronts are located in the shopping center across the street from the high school, including Tobacco Zone, whose store manager said that the student-involved commotion is common.
“It happens everyday,” said Tobacco Zone store manager, Jesse Bast. “As soon as they let out of school, something’s going on over here, just swarms of kids.
Bast said his team has security cameras stationed around the store to capture any incidents, although the employees don’t plan to increase security measures just yet.
“It’s hard to say if stuff goes on every single day, you never really know what’s coming towards it today,” Bast said.
Henrico Police said there have been no new developments in this investigation.
Anyone with information regarding both incidents is asked to call the Henrico County Police Division at 804-501-4810.
