13-year-old boy arrested following alleged assault of 14-year-old girl outside Port Coquitlam school
The alleged incident took place at Citadel Middle School in Port Coquitlam
A 13-year-old Maple Ridge boy has been arrested after allegedly using "an inappropriate level of force" on a 14-year-old girl on the grounds of Citadel Middle School in Port Coquitlam, Coquitlam RCMP said Tuesday.
Police say they received a call around 3:15 p.m. Jan. 10 and officers determined a verbal confrontation had occurred between four boys and a girl, which turned physical.
The girl used a low-level of force to push one of the boys, RCMP said in a statement. Police say the boy is alleged to have responded with an inappropriate level of force, injuring the girl.
The boy was arrested at the scene.
He is accused of assault causing bodily harm and uttering threats.
The boy does not have a history with the police and was released on conditions, according to the police statement. He will appear in court at a later date.
The Coquitlam School District said in a statement that it is cooperating with RCMP over its investigation, but offered no other details.
"The school district takes this matter very seriously and is addressing the situation," it said.
Girl does not attend Citadel
RCMP Cpl. Michael McLaughlin said the 14-year-old girl does not attend Citadel Middle School.
McLaughlin is asking the public to stay calm and avoid making immediate judgments on the case, as it is still being investigated.
He also points to opposing accounts of what took place being shared over social media.
"There are allegations appearing on social media that directly contradict the video evidence, witness statements and established facts of this investigation," said McLaughlin.
"It's completely understandable that people are reacting emotionally to this file, especially since children are involved, But it's important that we conduct an impartial investigation. We ask that people do not make judgments based on social media posts."
McLaughlin says the boy hasn't been in school since the arrest
No names are being released as the incident involves youth.
Port Coquitlam Mayor Brad West said on Twitter that he learned about the incident over social media and was "deeply upset and disappointed that this happened in our community."
He said he reached out to the family to offer assistance and support.
Re: PoCo School<br>I learned about this issue on social media like many of you and was deeply upset and disappointed that this happened in our community. I immediately reached out to the family to offer my assistance and will remain in contact with them.
—@BradWestPoCo