DeKalb County daycare brawl caught on video; parent charged
Parent arrested after daycare brawl
One parent is facing charges after video shows a fight take place inside a local daycare center. The woman is accused of attacking a teacher, but police say she initially reported herself as the victim. FOX 5's Deidra Dukes has the story.
DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - A local parent is facing charges following a fight between herself and a DeKalb County daycare staff member.
A witness to Wednesday's incident recorded video of the brawl between parent Shari Smarr-Sample and a school employee at the Lead Preparatory Daycare Center.
Police arrested Smarr-Sample after, according to the police report, she told the responding officer that she was the victim. DeKalb officers took her into custody after talking to witnesses and reviewing surveillance video, which they say showed Smarr-Sample was the aggressor.
Staff members at the facility on Bouldercrest Road wouldn't go on camera, but confirmed Sample's child is enrolled at the school. An employee tells FOX 5 they called police after Smarr-Sample hit a staff member.
Lead Preparatory Daycare Center
According to the police report, Smarr-Sample told officers she was punched in the face by the staffer during a dispute. But the staffer told police Smarr-Sample was irate with her when she entered her classroom and told her she didn't want her around her child. The women started arguing and Smarr-Sample lunged at her.
The report also stated that witnesses also told the officer "Sample lunged at and hit the victim first."
The officer reviewed the center's security cameras which, according to the police report, showed, "Sample walking at a fast pace towards the victim...getting in her face…turning around and pushing her. Sample is then observed wrestling the victim to the ground and continuously hitting her."
Smarr-Sample was arrested and booked into the DeKalb County Jail. She is charged with simple battery.