Abilene Police Respond to Brawl at Cooper High School

ABILENE, TX- Abilene police were dispatched to a brawl yesterday afternoon at Cooper High School.

The fight broke out around 12: 38 p.m. between two large groups in patio area of the campus, according to a KTXS report.

The report said there were no serious injuries. One student was sent to the hospital with a cut on their head after being struck with a belt buckle, according to KTXS.

Three faculty members at Cooper received minor injuries after attempting to break up the fight.

Abilene ISD spokesperson, Phil Ashby, told KTXS the number of students involved is still unknown.

A 16-year-old male was arrested and charged with aggravated assault. Police told KTXS that information would be limited given the ages of those involved.  

Parents were concerned that Abilene Independent School District (AISD) doesn’t send out immediate notifications when there’s a major incident at the school.

One parent told KTXS, “My concern is that we don't seem to be notified by AISD anytime there seems to be a major incident at the school.” “I think as parents, we should be somehow informed by a mass text notification or something just saying there was an incident and your child is safe.”

Ashby responded saying there is student messenger in place. However, it used sparingly and in emergency situations, KTXS reported.

“[The district is] certainly saddened and disappointed by the events that occurred at Cooper High School. We are thankful for the swift response and action by campus staff and for the assistance from the Abilene Police Department,” Ashby said. “We must remember that the incident involved a small number of the 1,700-plus students that attend CHS each day, and we will remain diligent in our commitment to provide a safe learning environment for all students.”