After appearing to strike her opponent in the head with a baton during a 4 × 200m relay race last week, a video of which quickly went viral, Alaila Everett of Portsmouth, Va., spoke out, claiming the incident was an accident. “I would never do that on purpose,” she said, explaining that she had lost her balance mid-race. “It’s not in my character.” But, according to local news, Everett has been receiving death threats and has now been served with a restraining order by the victim’s family.
“Her arm was hitting the baton like this,” Everett said, re-enacting the incident in a video on Good Morning America. “Until she got a little ahead, and my arm got stuck [behind her] and it rolled up her back. I lost my balance when I pumped my arms again. She got hit.”
After being hit, Kaelen Tucker of Brookville High School immediately grabbed the back of her head and ran off the track. She was later diagnosed with a concussion and possible skull fracture. Race officials quickly disqualified the I.C. Norcom team for runner interference and unsportsmanlike conduct.
Online, Everett says she’s been receiving death threats and being called racial slurs. Her family was served with court papers by the Tuckers, who are seeking a protective order against Everett; they will be required to make an appearance before a judge.
The Tuckers told 10 News they have yet to receive an apology from Everett, but Everett claims to have been blocked by Tucker on social media.
High school athlete smacks runner in the head with relay baton
No apologies or explanations were made by Everett or her team immediately following the incident last week, but I.C. Norcom’s athletic director has since apologized to the Tucker family on behalf of the Everett family.
