Chemical spray used to break up fight at St. Paul high school

A school resource officer used chemical spray to disperse a crowd gathered around a fight at Como Park Senior High School Monday morning.

The fight involved four to five girls and happened in a common area as students were moving between classes. About 20 students complained afterward of burning eyes and coughing.

Como Park principal Theresa Neal says its unclear whether all the students affected by the spray were in the area at the time of the incident.

"It's hard for me to gauge at what point those students were actually present at the point of where it was dispensed or if they happened to be coming through the commons area," Neal said.

St. Paul school officials say the decision to use a chemical spray is left to school resource officers, who are members of the St. Paul Police force.

A spokesman for the police department says the officer used the chemical spray after a staff member trying to break up the fight was pushed to the ground.