That’s where we’re at. This is a litigious world where anyone and anything can be taken before a judge or in this case, a DA.
Here we go … Remember that high school runner from Virginia, who went viral after her baton whacked another runner in the head? Now, she is facing criminal charges. Alaila Everett, a senior at I.C. Norcom High School in Portsmouth, has been charged with misdemeanor assault and battery, according to Bethany Harrison, the commonwealth’s attorney for Lynchburg, who confirmed the news to ABC on March 12.
ICYMI, the incident occurred during the Virginia State High School League Championships at Liberty University on March 4. Everett, who was competing in the 4×200-meter relay, has denied accusations that she intentionally struck Kaelen Tucker, a junior from Brookville High School. Everett, along with her mother, claims the incident was purely accidental.
Get this. Everett explained that she and Tucker were running in close proximity during the race, and at one point, her baton got stuck behind Tucker’s back, accidentally hitting Tucker in the head as she lost her balance.
“I know my intentions and I would never hit someone on purpose,” Everett told a local news outlet following the event.
What’s more, Tucker’s mother, Tamarro Tucker, has expressed concerns about Everett and her team’s lack of apology or acknowledgment after the incident. “My whole thing was no apology,” said Tamarro in an interview with WSET. “Like, no coaches, no athlete, no anything. Even if it was an accident — which I don’t believe it was — but nothing. And it’s been more than 24 hours now. So I guess that was the major thing. My child was hurt and nobody came to check on her.”
But wait, as a result of the incident, Kaelen Tucker suffered a concussion and a possible skull fracture. Everett’s case has sparked public outcry, with some critics directing “racial slurs and death threats” at her and her family. The situation has prompted the Portsmouth NAACP to support Everett, asserting that the charges are unwarranted.
“We are committed collectively to ensuring that the criminal justice system, which we feel is not warranted in this situation, is executed fairly and based on due process,” the Portsmouth NAACP stated on March 12. The organization also praised Everett, describing her as “an exceptional young leader and scholar” and calling for her to be “void of any criminal proceedings.”