Press Release:
The Pensacola Police Department is continuing to investigate several altercations and fights that occurred at the Pensacola High School vs. Booker T. Washington High School football game on Friday, Aug. 26.
PPD is working closely with Escambia County Public Schools to determine who was involved in these incidents. The initial investigation has identified approximately 18 individuals who were involved, but PPD is still working to determine the extent of their involvement. Due to the active investigation and the involvement of juveniles, there is limited information that can be released at this time.
During the investigation, law enforcement learned of a possible threat of a shooting at an upcoming PHS football game. In light of this information, changes have been made to the upcoming football game schedule to help maintain a safe environment. As always, the safety and security of students, staff and visitors is the top priority of Escambia County Public Schools.
We understand that parents, students, and the community have many questions about the decision to move two upcoming PHS games. While we are limited in what we can share due to the ongoing investigations, ECPS continues to communicate information with local law enforcement so they can vet the information and complete their investigations. We can assure you that the decision to move these games was made solely with the safety of our students in mind, and it is in no way a disciplinary action against students.
To clarify, previous uses of the word “neighborhood” when discussing these incidents were not referring to or a reflection of any particular neighborhood or school, but were simply indicating that these issues are coming from outside of the school and are not school-related.
As a reminder, the Pensacola High School versus Tate High football game scheduled for Friday, Sept. 2 is being moved to Saturday, Sept. 3 at 9 a.m. The Pensacola High versus Tate High School game will be played at Tate High School on Saturday, Sept. 3 at 9 a.m.
Next week, the PHS versus Pine Forest game, originally scheduled for Friday, Sept. 9 is being moved to Saturday, Sept. 10. This game will be played at Pine Forest High School at 9 a.m.
Again, the safety and security of our students, staff and visitors remains our first priority. We appreciate the public’s patience and understanding as ECPS and local law enforcement agencies work together to thoroughly investigate these incidents and maintain a safe environment at our local high school football games.
ECPS and PPD denounce violence of any kind in our communities and encourage all citizens to stand united with us in our mission to promote safety in our community.