A 13-year-old boy has been arrested after an alleged assault at a Port Coquitlam middle school, and the RCMP are asking the public to avoid making snap judgments based on what is being spread on social media.

“There are allegations appearing on social media that directly contradict the video evidence, witness statements, and established facts of this investigation,” said Cpl. Michael McLaughlin on Tuesday. “There has been a lot of anger directed to the school and police. We want to assure everyone that our first priority is to continually assess the risk and make sure that everyone involved is safe. Now, we ask that you stay patient and avoid judgment until a full and impartial investigation is complete.”

Police received a call on January 10 around 3:15 p.m. after an alleged assault on the grounds of Citadel Middle School in the 1200-block of Citadel Drive. Initial investigation determined that a verbal confrontation between four youth males and one youth female escalated when the girl used a low level of physical force. At that time, a 13-year-old Maple Ridge boy is alleged to have used an inappropriate level of force that caused an injury to the girl.

The 13-year-old Maple Ridge boy was arrested on scene and is accused of:

* Assault causing bodily harm
* Uttering threats
The boy, who does not have a history with police, was released on conditions and must appear in court in Port Coquitlam at a later date.

Coquitlam RCMP continues to investigate and more evidence needs to be gathered and evaluated. More charges are possible against all parties involved.

“It’s completely understandable that people are reacting emotionally to this file, especially since children are involved,” noted McLaughlin. “But it’s important that we conduct an impartial investigation. We ask that people do not make judgments based on social media posts.”

Since all parties involved in this file are youths, names will not be released.