On September 18, just after Richard Montgomery High School’s 54-26 victory over Rockville High School, a fight and a student seizure unrelated to the fight occurred as fans exited from Rockville’s Joseph B. Good Stadium.  The scene drew a large crowd and police presence right outside the school gates.

Rumors abound about what happened after the game, but the story is not at all one fueled by Rockville vs. RM sentiments. Based on eyewitness accounts from students and parents, as well as interviews of RM administrators and security and the Rockville Police, The Tide pieced together the story of what actually happened at the stadium.

“This was not a school vs. school fight. This was not RM people against Rockville people,” Richard Montgomery Principal Damon Monteleone made clear. “This was a fight between two individuals, both of whom had a prior history with each other that was completely exclusive from any type of Rockville/RM rivalry.”

Conflict between the two schools has occurred before, such as after last year’s Rockville vs. RM basketball game, when fighting broke out following the Rockets’ victory. This prior history between the two schools, plus the medical emergency which took place around the same time as the fight, 9:10 p.m., created a hectic postscript to what was a thrilling football game.

The Tide attempted to obtain the police report of the incident, but the attempts were blocked by the Montgomery County Records Office because the fight involved minors.   A request for a version of the report with the names redacted was also denied by Montgomery County Records Management Section Supervisor Lolita Smith. A synopsis of events surrounding the fight was given by Lieutenant Ron Merritt, the Watch Commander on duty at the football game for the Rockville City Police.

The fight involved just two individuals. As confirmed by Lt. Merritt, the crowd exiting the stadium was not unruly, nor was there a lack of security. In addition to Rockville High School security, Richard Montgomery had more administrators and security members at an away game than ever before. According to RM’s Administrators and Security Assignments list, eleven RM staff were present (The principal, four administrators, the Athletic Director and Assistant, and four security guards). Six were stationed at the exit post-game to help escort fans out of the stadium.

When the fight occurred between the two individuals, it was quickly stopped. However, the most disturbing part of the incident is the confirmed report that after the fight was controlled, an unidentified police officer on the scene entered the crowd of bystanders with his Electronic Control Device (ECD), specifically a Taser, drawn and sparking. Several parents and students confirm this.

According to a complaint filed by Maria Blaeuer (a RM parent) to the Montgomery County Police Internal Affairs Division, and testimony from eyewitness Jake Lee, a RM student, the unidentified officer entered the crowd with his Taser sparking, as a method to move the crowd. The officer was noted to be at a “speed walk” and did not shout warning of the Taser throughout the incident. The officer did shout that he needed to get to the entrance of the stadium, but only after the Taser was pulled and sparking.

The decision by the unidentified officer to use a sparking Taser raises questions regarding when the use of an ECD is permissible, as seen in the complaint delivered by Blaeuer. The crowd of fans was right by the main gates to Joseph B. Good Stadium, and had little room to maneuver out of the way of the outstretched Taser.

“He pulled [the Taser] out very suddenly, everybody was surprised when we saw it,” Lee said. “He did not announce it beforehand but was shouting once he pulled it out. He was shouting that he needed to get to the entrance.” The fight, at this time, was under control by other officers in the area.

According to Lt. Merritt, the Watch Commander on duty at the football game, “The crowd was not unruly, just large – everyone complied with officer’s request [besides] the individuals mentioned earlier.” The two individuals who were involved in the altercation were already controlled by the time the unidentified officer decided to use the Taser.

Using the Taser as a de-escalation device is allowed under Montgomery County Police Policy FC-131, Section V “Electronic Control Device”, B1: “As a de-escalation technique, sparking the ECD from a safe distance without a cartridge as well as pointing the ECD’s laser at the subject is permitted in order to gain compliance prior to deploying the ECD.”

The crowded area in front of the exit, where fans flooded out after the game, made a safe distance from fans close to impossible, according to Blaeuer. In fact, the officer brushed by Lee on his way through the crowd. Also, as Section V of FC-131, A1 states: “An ECD is not an all-purpose weapon that takes the place of de-escalation techniques and other options.”

“The responding officer used the Taser in ‘sparking mode’ to clear a path through a crowd of students, without attempting other, less dangerous, methods to clear a path first,” Blaeuer said.

In a 2013 PowerPoint presentation on ECD use made by Assistant Chief John King of the Montgomery County Police Department, the Use of Force Continuum labels the Taser as the third level out of four possible options of force. While it does state that the continuum is “Not predicted on a strict hierarchical sequence, nor must the officer elect to start at the lowest level,” there was no imminent threat to the officer or bystanders. The fight had been dealt with and police were already on hand.

Both Blaeuer and Lee expressed concern that an officer wielded an active Taser so near a crowd of peaceful students. “The fact that these are minors is a relevant fact that should be addressed in both the department’s policy guidance, and in their training,” Blaeuer said.

Lt. Thomas Jordan, Deputy Director of Internal Affairs with the Montgomery County Police, in response to the complaint filed by Ms. Blaeuer, confirmed he was unable to identify an officer, so the case will not be researched any further. He will be referring the matter to the training committee for additional education, and was unable to make further comment.

Police officers did act admirably when dealing with the seizure victim, according to Lt. Merritt. With such a large crowd exiting the stadium and parking lot, the ambulance was prevented from reaching the student having the medical emergency. Primary care was given to the student by officers to reduce further injury. The student was then placed in a squad car to be taken to the awaiting ambulance on Baltimore Road, in front of Rockville High School.

Correction on 10/6/15 at 11:30 a.m.: Lt. Jordan was originally stated to have ‘declined’ a comment for The Tide. However, it is not the charge of the Internal Affairs Department to comment to the press, so he referred The Tide to the MCPD press office.