COLUMBUS COUNTY, N.C. (WECT) – A school resource officer at West Columbus High School was knocked unconscious during a fight involving two male students on Aug. 30.

Per the Columbus County Sheriff’s Office, the fight started at around 9 to 9:30 a.m. and involved a 17-year-old and an 18-year-old. The CCSO says Deputy Victoria Lancaster tried to stop the fight, was punched in the face and knocked up against a wall unconscious.

After she was knocked out, the principal broke up the fight and several students tried to help her out, according to the sheriff’s office.

Lancaster was taken to the hospital with a minor concussion and returned to work on Tuesday, Sept. 3.

The 18-year-old, Anthony Jones, has been charged with felony assault on a law enforcement officer / probation officer inflicting a serious injury and given a $5,000 bond. A juvenile petition is pending for the other student, who was moved to a juvenile facility.

“It’s kind of disheartening when you see one of your officers laying… she was unconscious at the time but her head was bleeding, but [had] a big knot on her head. She was saying she couldn’t see and her vision was blurry so that is a concern because you know anytime there is head trauma, the first thing I thought of was a brain bleed or something bad, but I am just glad it was a small concussion and nothing really major happened to her,” said Sheriff Bill Rogers

Neither of the students involved are in school as of Tuesday. Columbus County Schools said that the district had no comment and that it is letting the sheriff’s office handle the investigation.

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