Teachers injured and student arrested after middle school assault

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Des Moines police arrest a middle school student for assaulting a student and faculty members.

Police say the student threatened a classmate at McCombs Middle School on Tuesday. A teacher stepped in and was punched in the face and chest causing a bloody nose. Another teacher who tried to intervene was hit on the left side of her neck. Attempting to calm the student a third woman, the school counselor, was punched four times in her chest and face, breaking her glasses.

Ultimately, it took two men to restrain the student who was then taken to the Juvenile Detention Center.

According to police records, over that past three months there have been 12 calls for service to McCombs for things like assaults, fights, and other less aggressive acts.

Des Moines Public School officials were not available for an on-camera interview, but Communications Officer Amanda Lewis sent us this statement.

“McCombs staff work with students of varied physical, emotional and social challenges every day. Yesterday, they did a good job in a very difficult situation. Every student is deserving of an education. For students who cannot function in a traditional school, the district makes placements in one of our alternative education programs."

WHO Channel 13 reports the conditions of the three faculty members involved are unknown.


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