Virginia high school track star faces assault charges after viral baton attack on opponent during race
PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA: A high school track star named Alaila Everett is facing assault charges after a shocking viral video showed her striking an opponent on the head with a baton during a race.
The Lynchburg Commonwealth's Attorney Office confirmed to Daily Mail that a petition has been issued for one count of assault and battery against Everett.
Alaila Everett defends herself after viral baton attack incident
The incident occurred during the 4x200m relay event at the VHSL Class 3 State Indoor Championships at Liberty University on Tuesday, March 4
Kaelen Tucker, representing Brookville High School in Lynchburg, was running the second leg of the relay when she passed Everett of IC Norcom High School on the outside.
In the viral clip, Everett appears to pull her right arm back and deliberately hit Tucker on the head with her baton.
Following the video's circulation, Everett claimed the incident was unintentional.
"Nobody is going to believe me because I can admit from the video it does look purposeful," Everett told Wavy.com in a tearful interview, adding, "But I know my intentions, and I would never hit anybody on purpose."
Explaining the moment further, she added, "After a couple times of hitting her, my baton got stuck behind her back like this, and it rolled up her back. I lost my balance and, when I pumped my arms again, she got hit."
Everett insisted there was more to her story than what the brief video showed.
"They are assuming my character, calling me ghetto and racial slurs, death threats," she said. "All of this off of a nine-second video."
"Everybody has feelings, so you're physically hurt, but you're not thinking of my mental (health)," she added.
In another interview from ABC 7 News, her mother was heard saying (while her father was on camera), "Nobody really cares about her truth, but like I said we want to get the facts out there that she didn't do it on purpose. The girl cut her off if you running at full speed and somebody hit you she lost her balance the girl crossed over and accidentally got hit. We are sorry it happened but she didn't do it."
Injured runner Kaelen Tucker seeks spology
Meanwhile, Tucker remains shaken by the incident.
Speaking to ABC affiliate WSET, she expressed her disbelief, "I still can't believe it, I'm in shock. I'm still trying to take it all in, I can't believe it happened."
She also addressed Everett directly, asking: "Why did you do it, and why haven't you apologized?"
According to WSET, Tucker sustained a concussion and a possible skull fracture.
Her mother, Tamarro, voiced frustration over the lack of response from Everett’s school.
"No apologies. No coaches. No athlete. No anything," Tamarro told WSET. "Even if it was an accident, which I don't believe it was... nothing."
Prior to the charges being announced, the local branch of the NAACP defended Everett in a statement, describing her as "an exceptional young leader and scholar" who has "carried herself with integrity both on and off the field."
They stressed that any narrative portraying her as guilty violated her right to due process.
Judges at the meet witnessed the incident and disqualified Norcom's team for "contact interference," a violation for physically interfering with another runner's actions.
Adding to the ongoing investigation, lipreading expert Nicola Hickling told DailyMail.com that Everett appeared to shout "get off" and "hey oh" during the altercation, as per Daily Mail.
