A fight involving students and adults broke out near King Middle School on Tuesday, according to Berkeley police.
Police were called to the corner of Rose and Edith streets at 3:14 p.m. after receiving a call about a large-scale fight involving about 30 people, including students and adults, according to a caller.
A few people sustained minor to moderate injuries, including someone with an injured hand and “scratches.” No one was arrested or transported to the hospital, according to the Berkeley Police Department.
By the time police arrived at 3:22 p.m., the fight was over and some people had already left the scene. There were no weapons reported, according to police.
King Principal Janet Levenson described the fight as a “chaotic situation during dismissal” in an email to the community on Tuesday. Levenson told Berkeleyside she estimated that only eight to 10 people were involved in the fight.
Police are still investigating the cause of the conflict, but said the fight broke out due to a dispute between two families, including children and adults. The fight may have occurred over an incident that happened a few days earlier, police said.
“It is remarkably sad to me that our students had to witness such violence,” Levenson wrote in the email, promising to “always rely on the police to intervene when (students’) safety is threatened.”
Levenson wrote that the school “never tolerate(s) adults intervening in issues between students.” She also said that counselors “will be available to any student who was impacted by the situation.”
Berkeley police spokesperson Byron White said that the number of calls at schools that police are responding to this fall are comparable to pre-pandemic levels. “I don’t think kids should be fighting after school at all,” he said, calling the fights “concerning.”
BPD is still investigating the disturbance outside the school.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
