Philipsburg:-- Several students were arrested while some of them injured when a gang fight broke out in a school bus on Friday. Police Spokesman Ricardo Henson said this was something waiting to happen and that police were receiving several phone calls alerting them that some students are preparing to fight. Henson said earlier in the week he called on parents to pay keen attention and to monitor their children but several of them had to visit the police station where their children were.
The police spokesman said several police patrol had to respond to Bush Road, where a big gang fight between students from the Sint Maarten Academy and the Milton Peters College was taking place.
The report also indicated that the fight was taking place on a school bus and that weapons like machetes were also involved. On the scene, a patrol learnt that a student involved in the fight had left the scene by taking a bus to Philipsburg.
The bus in which student in question was, was intercepted by a patrol coming from Philipsburg. He was arrested on the scene, however the student resisted heavily against the officers, during his resistance he suffered a minor cut under his chin. He was taken to the Sint Maarten Medical Center for treatment after which he was released in police custody.
According to eyewitnesses, the school bus was attacked on the crossing of Bush Road Zagersgut Road by a large group of young men/students that came out of the Blijdendrive area, some in uniform, and others without uniform.
The students who attacked the bus had their faces covered with blue bandana's to conceal their identity. The attackers started a major fight with several students on board of the bus. During this fight a machete was pulled. According to the bus driver, a window of the bus was destroyed by one of the attackers with a machete. The bus driver also stated that he tried to take away the machete from this person, but was unsuccessful in doing so and suffered minor cuts to his right arm.
Shortly after the attackers exited the bus and ran into Blijdendrive according to statements made by eyewitnesses. Several students who were on the bus and who were involved in the fight were brought to the Philipsburg Police Station to give statements about this incident. However, these students fail to give the necessary information and cooperation to the police in order for them to be able to put together what exactly happened, what was the reason for this unfortunate incident-taking place and who the persons that are responsible for these serious acts. Several parents of students involved in the fight was called to the police station and informed of this very serious situation.
The police during the day continued to receive information that these confrontations or gang fights will continue. For that reason several patrols were sent out to monitor the situations and if necessary act on them.
During controls done by the patrols on the roads, several machetes and items used to strike persons with were found and confiscated. At the Sint Maarten Academy P.S.V.E. in Ebenezer, the security guard on duty found a machete on the premises. This machete was of course confiscated by police
Information coming in to the police indicates that these fights are between several rival gangs from different districts on the island.
