Attempts were made to confirm the report and the first response came from Commissioner BJ Mathis:

There was an altercation. The SRO is now taking three days off from work due to his injuries. At this time they are looking at one student as responsible for the officer's injuries.

BJ Mathis had much to say about the problems we face in our communities and the entire county. “Problems such as drugs and gangs will not simply go away and solutions will require everyone's involvement.” She stands ready to host or participate in any public forum, meetings, workgroups, etc. designed to address the tough issues. I applaud her willingness to involve any county resources deemed necessary. We also talked about personal responsibilities and the responsibilities we all share. We both hope that citizens concerned and committed to real solutions will take an active role. Even with Other People’s Kids, because that is what friends and neighbors do.

Regardless of race, rhymes or reason, our communities suffer a great malady when an SRO is injured by student(s). Everyone including parents, teachers, adults and students must share a common respect of self and community. I know that was a given in my teen years of the 1960s and 70s. A simple but effective fact:

When we all avoid political correctness, when we each accept that WE are responsible for our communities; when we see an act or attitude that is demeaning or destructive we must do the right thing - confront the offender and remind them "we all live here, let's respect and protect each other.

A conversation with Schools Superintendent Jack Parish confirmed several things. First is that no incidents occurred at UGHS today. Police presence has been increased (which I noted in my daily travels), and "adequate police personnel will be on hand for the football game tonight." Through his several communications with the UGHS principal he shared that "everything is going smoothly."

The school and Dr. Parish are receiving calls from concerned parents, some wondering about the possible involvement (and safety) of their own kids. Reminding each caller they must follows laws concerning confidentiality, the parents are assured that parents of each and every student involved in an incident has been notified. If a parent is not contacted they may know their kid "is as safe as when they left home that morning."

At Union Grove Middle School, during the morning announcements, the kids were told:

At tonight's high school football game
... You may not be dropped off
... A parent or other adult must accompany you at the game
... You may not walk on/around the track
... You must remain seated during the game

It is possible that the SRO was injured while breaking up a fight. It is possible that only one student was involved in the altercation. And while I sense there is much more that we are not being told, we cannot point fingers and cast blame. The school system and the Sheriff's Department (who provide the SROs) are on top of the rumors and actions and the situation. They have accepted responsibility for safety and are apparently ready to respond in a reasoned and professional manner.