High school track athlete Alaila Everett faces a misdemeanor charge of assault and battery after a video of her striking her opponent, Kaelen Tucker, with a baton in a 4x200m relay race went viral.
The race was part of a Virginia High School League (VHSL) Class 3 State Indoor Championship held on March 4. While Everette claims to be innocent, the released footage begs to differ.
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What happened on that fateful day
The footage showed the I.C. Norcom High School student hitting Tucker with her baton in the back of the head after Tucker attempted an overtake.
The blow resulted in the poor girl running off the track and going to the ground before paramedics got to her aid.
Which side is in the right?
Everett insists that the whole incident was accidental and that it was because she “lost her balance” during the race.
However, Tucker and her family are far from convinced. The 16-year-old who represented Brookville High School and her family called for a protective order as she sustained horrid injuries.
Why charges were filed against Everett
As per ABC News, Lynchburg Commonwealth’s Attorney Bethany Harrison verified the news that Everett had been given a misdemeanor charge of assault and battery with no court date being set.
This decision came especially given the nature of the injuries that Tucker sustained such as concussion and possible skull fracture.
Another video tackles a different angle
There was a former video released by Everett to Good Morning America in an attempt to prove her innocence. The new video, however, shows Everett winding her arm back before hitting Tucker over the head, which makes the blow not so unintentional.
There was a rally in support of Everett
The 18-year-old held a rally with several supporters on Thursday, March 13, just one day after her charges her filed, aiming to highlight her innocence.
Everett addressed her supporters outside her High School in Portsmouth, Virginia, saying: “Thank y’all for supporting me,” as reported by NBC affiliate, WAVY.
The matter evolved into a racial one
Portsmouth NAACP President James Boyd took the chance to address the abuse that Everett’s family faced during the rally, saying:
“The Everett family has experienced racial slurs, they’ve experienced death threats, and we think unequivocally that those things are unacceptable.”
