After a startling video of an opponent getting hit in the head with a baton at a high school track race went viral, Alaila Everett offered her thoughts.
The incident happened on March 7 at Liberty University in Virginia during a 4×200-meter relay. After being struck on the back of the head with a baton, Brookville High School sprinter Kaelen Tucker had a concussion and perhaps a fractured skull.
As soon as the moment’s footage became viral on social media, many people assumed the strike was deliberate.
Everett, a runner from I.C. Norcom High School, had just passed Tucker, who was racing the second leg of the relay, on the track’s bend when the incident happened. As Tucker fell to the ground following the impact, spectators could hear them gasp. Online, the video caused a stir, with many people demanding that Everett be disqualified from competition.
Everett has since come out to say the incident was an accident. She justified herself in a tearful interview with WAVY TV 10, claiming that she never intended to hurt her rival.
“Everyone has emotions,” she stated with tears in her eyes. “You’re harmed physically, but you don’t care about my mental health, do you? They are operating from a single perspective.
Everett described the incident from her point of view: “I got stuck behind her back like this and it rolled up her back after a couple of times of hitting her with my baton.” She was struck as I lost my footing and pumped my arms once more. I would never intentionally hit someone because I know what I’m doing.
Everett’s parents have supported her and insisted that their daughter didn’t mean any harm. They also disclosed that in an attempt to secure a protective order, Tucker’s family has now filed a lawsuit against them and served them with court documents.
The Tuckers, for their part, are disappointed that there was no apology during the event. They added, “They were beside us at the event,” in an interview with local news. At the event, they were watching the footage, but nobody came to check on her or offer an apology. You would check on her even if it was a strange accident or a mishap.
Everett says she has made an effort to contact Tucker and apologize, but he has not been “receptive” to her messages.
The sport’s governing organization has apparently opened an official investigation into the event after receiving a message from Tucker’s mother, Tamarro.
Tensions are still high, and the debate is still developing. Many people are waiting for the investigation’s findings to decide whether Everett’s acts were unintentional or whether there should be more repercussions.
