March 13, 2025
The high school runner who went viral after striking an opponent in the head with a baton has been charged with assault.
The Virginia high school track and field runner who hit an opponent in the head with a baton has been charged with misdemeanor assault.
I.C. Norcom High School senior Alaila Everett is being charged with one count of assault and battery. The charges come one week after an incident during the 4×200-meter relay at the March 4 state championship, where her baton struck Brookville High School junior Kaelen Tucker in the head.
Everett insists the incident was accidental, but many who have seen the now-viral video believe otherwise. The widespread attention from the footage has resulted in harassment and death threats against her.
“She was touching me to the point where I was pumping my arm, and the baton was hitting her arm,” Everett said. “I lose my balance—my whole body turns, and then I pump my arms, so she got hit.”
“I would never do that on purpose,” Everett told Good Morning America. “That’s not in my character.”
JUST IN: Track runner Alaila Everett charged with assault & battery after hitting a runner in the head with a baton at a track meet.
Everett claims her hand simply slipped which resulted in the other runner Kaelen Tucker, getting a concussion & possibly fractured skull.
The… pic.twitter.com/SwY8T6tomx
Tucker was diagnosed with a concussion, and her parents claim Everett never checked on their daughter or inquired about her well-being, even after the race had ended. However, Everett says that when she tried to reach out to Tucker on social media to apologize, she learned she was blocked.
The high school teen has spoken out against the backlash she is receiving online from people who think she purposefully attacked Tucker.
“I can admit from the video it does look purposeful, but I know my intentions and I would never hit somebody on purpose because of jealousy,” Everett said.
The Portsmouth NAACP also released a statement defending Everett from the online scrutiny and media attention.
“Alaila is NOT AN ATTACKER and media headlines that allude towards that in any way is shameful,” the statement said. “We understand the sensitivity of the circumstances for both athletes and their families involved, but this narrative must not go unaddressed.”
The statement continued.
“Alaila is an honor student and a star athlete at the historic I.C. Norcom High School. From all accounts, she is an exceptional young leader and scholar whose athletic talent has been well-documented and recognized across our state. She has carried herself with integrity both on and off the field, and any narrative that adjudicates her guilty of any criminal activity is a violation of her due process rights.”
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