TOLEDO, Ohio — EDITOR'S NOTE: The attached video originally aired on Nov. 9, 2021.
Officers with Toledo Public Schools deployed pepper spray to disperse a crowd of students who were fighting at Bowsher High School last week, district leaders said Friday.
According to TPS Deputy Superintendent James Gant, the incident occurred on Monday, Nov. 1.
Officers from the Toledo Police Department and the school district's Department of Public Safety were called to the school after there were several physical altercations between students, including one outside during dismissal.
One of the officers employed by TPS reportedly used pepper spray to try and disperse the crowd and to dissuade students from congregating.
According to a news release from the district, the officer issued a verbal warning prior to deploying the spray, noting that the aerosol was not directed toward or pointed at any specific student.
TPS officers are instructed to only use pepper spray as a last resort, the release said, after they have tried to use other forms of intervention when dealing with large crowds.
No further information about the incident was immediately released.