On February 23rd, 2018, there were several student-led protests against gun violence at some local high schools. During one Protest on a Stockton High School, over a couple of hundred students walked off campus. While many of those students were demonstrating peacefully against gun violence, several students took this opportunity to commit acts of violence against our community members and officers.
Rocks were thrown by these students which caused damage to uninvolved vehicles and Stockton Police vehicles. During one incident, as a Stockton Police Officer was patrolling the area of a high school which was on lockdown, the officer saw several students leaving campus by jumping a fence.
The officer went to contact the students when the students fought with the officer and took his baton. A citizen saw what was happening and came to the officer’s aid until more officers arrived. The following students were arrested:
Verania Cervantes, 18, for battery on an officer and resisting arrest. She was booked into the S.J. County Jail.
A 15-year-old male for battery on an officer, taking an officer’s baton, and resisting arrest;
A 14-year-old male for battery on an officer and resisting arrest;
A 17-year-old female for battery on an officer and resisting arrest; and
A 16-year-old female for battery on an officer and resisting arrest.
All the juveniles were cited to their parents.
Stockton Police Department’s Public Information Officer Joe Silva said, “We do support the freedom to protest peacefully and freedom of speech. While the majority of the students were peaceful today, we don’t condone the violence which was committed by a small handful of students. It’s unacceptable to batter a police officer and especially to take an officer’s baton.”
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