39°
Fairfield Police said a video circulating online shows the result of an "ongoing verbal harassment and bullying" campaign by four Fairfield kids against another middle school student.
Fairfield Public Schools Superintendent Michael Testani said in an email that the incident involved Roger Ludlowe Middle School students and took place on Thursday night, Oct. 3.
The incident happened off of school grounds.
In the video, the allegedly abused child pulls a knife to retaliate against his tormenters, police said.
Police viewed the video and investigated the incident and found that the four children had teased the fifth in person and online, which may have pushed them to take such drastic actions. Investigators said they could sympathize, but the abused's actions were unacceptable.
"While we understand the emotions and fear that might have contributed to this response, the Fairfield Police Department wants to make it clear that the use of a weapon or any form of violence is never an acceptable solution."
Fairfield Police said they have issued the "appropriate charges" in the case, but declined to go into detail because of the children's ages.
Fairfield schools will also investigate the incident and issue appropriate punishments based on the findings.
Investigators noted that bullying has no place in schools as it disrupts classes, causes lasting harm, and can lead to horrific outcomes in the most dire cases.
Testani said parents should speak with their children about the impact of their behavior and the "legal ramifications and school disciplinary action" that could follow.
Fairfield schools have a confidential program that allows students to report bullying so administrators can investigate the claims.
There are also many online resources for bullied students such as StopBullying.gov.
Click here to follow Daily Voice East Haddam and receive free news updates.
