Police in Paris and Norway are continuing their investigation into a series of fights between a group juveniles attacking other students in the area.
No one else has been arrested or charged since Paris police arrested two juveniles, ages 14 and 15, on charges of aggravated assault. The incident on the Viking Trail in Paris on Sept. 25 when the juveniles were punching and kicking a defenseless victim after they were knocked to the ground sent one student to the hospital with serious injuries. The fight was videotaped by more than one individual and posted to Facebook.
“At this point, no,” Police Chief Michael Dailey said about the possibility of further arrests or charges. “I know our officers have had conversations with the juvenile code officers today.”
“We’re still working on it together,” Norway Police Chief Robert Federico said. “We seem to be gaining ground, but not much to say at the moment.”
At the advice of law enforcement, School Administrative District 17 canceled in-person classes Tuesday and Wednesday at Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School and Oxford Hills Middle School, both in Paris, and held all classes remotely. Classes were already canceled Thursday and Friday for teacher workshops throughout the district.
Dailey said his department is still investigating an incident Tuesday between a group of parents protesting the violence and the family of one of the attackers outside the Oxford County courthouse in Paris where threats were allegedly made. His office is still waiting for statements from all parties to be returned.
What caused the uptick in attacks by the juveniles is still unknown.
“I don’t know if anybody has said about what happened and this happened,” Dailey said. “We’re doing some follow-ups today.
“I don’t think there were any family dynamics involved,” he added. “It was just from what we can determine so far, was the kids in town may have had some type of dispute, but I don’t know all the circumstances involved in that.”
Alishia Sessions, the mother of one of the teens who was attacked early last month in a different incident, said she believes some of the teens were attacked or threatened because of things they had posted on social media criticizing the fights. She said a small group of individuals aligned with the attackers have taunted and tried to intimidate members of her group of parents protesting the violence and bullying.
Sessions said that will not stop her. She said members of the Peoples’ Alliance are helping her organize a protest Saturday at 3 p.m. across for the high school on Route 26. She is also working with the group to start a petition to quell the violence and end all forms of bullying in SAD 17.
Other towns in the district are Harrison, Hebron, Otisfield, Oxford, Waterford and West Paris.
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