Paso Robles High School administrator struck while trying to break up altercation
The assistant principal at Paso Robles High School was injured Wednesday afternoon when he was struck while intervening to break up an altercation on the sidewalk outside the school.
The injured administrator, Gerald Braxton, was transported to the hospital, Principal Anthony Overton wrote in an email to the school’s staff. No information was available on his condition.
Overton said Braxton was trying to disperse the crowd when an individual who was not a student “confronted and struck” him.
Overton said the school resource officer and Paso Robles police responded and police have the suspect in custody.
The suspect, 18, was arrested on suspicion of battery causing serious bodily injury in connection with the incident, according to Paso Robles Police Commander Caleb Davis.
Davis said the incident occurred about 3:30 p.m. Wednesday at the high school release time, Davis said.
The situation is still under investigation by the school resource officers, Davis said.
“While this incident is truly a tragedy, I must say how proud I am of every member of our staff that jumped into action,” Overton wrote in the email. “I am so proud of several of our Bearcats that immediately took action. ... When faced with a choice of being a cell phone bystander or a good Samaritan, these Bearcats did us proud.”
Superintendent Curt Dubost said in an email the administrator was “attempting to diffuse a student altercation.”
“Police have a possible suspect they are following up on,” Curt Dubost wrote. “No further info is appropriate at this time.”
The situation is still under investigation by the school resource officers and more information may be released as the investigation unfolds, Davis said.
Correction: This story has been corrected to note it wasn’t a student who struck the school staff member.
This story was originally published August 25, 2021 at 4:57 PM.
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