A high school track star, accused of intentionally hitting a competitor in the head with a baton, has released new footage to support her claims of the incident being an “accident.”
Alaila Everett, a senior at I.C. Norcom High School in Portsmouth, made headlines after running the second leg of the 4x200-meter relay during the Virginia State High School League Championships on March 3.
Running alongside her was opponent Kaelen Tucker, a junior from Brookville High School.
Alaila Everett shared footage of the alleged attack from another angle to prove that it was an accident
Image credits: Good Morning America
Image credits: Good Morning America
Footage of the race went viral after Alaila’s baton struck Kaelen’s head, causing the runner to suffer a concussion.
Alaila was charged with assault and battery over the alleged attack.
However, the track star has since shared new footage to show the incident from a different angle and prove that it was an “accident.”
Her family also defended her as she asserted that she would never intentionally hurt someone that way.
Kaelen Tucker suffered a concussion after her competitor's baton struck her head
Image credits: Brookville Track and Field
“I would never do that on purpose,” she told ABC News, as quoted by Good Morning America. “That's not in my character.”
She said her arm got stuck during the race, causing her baton to accidentally smack the fellow runner in the head.
“Her arm was literally hitting the baton - until she got a little ahead, and my arm got stuck … ” she told the outlet.
Critics claimed she was lying, with one saying, “She looks so silly trying to weasel her way out with her contrived play-by-play explanation”
Image credits: Good Morning America
Image credits: Good Morning America
Viewers commented on the interview and said the “video doesn't support her bs.”
“I'm not buying her story at all,” one said, while another wrote, “That girl is lying! Sad. We've raised these kids to not be able to deal with losing.”
“Her arm got stuck?! She was swinging that baton!” read another comment.
Image credits: Good Morning America
“She's laughing about it,” said another. “This kid needs an evaluation.”
Another wrote, “Slow motion shows her cocking her hand back to strike the other girl!”
Others questioned the girl’s family members, with one saying, “Parents are disgusting. Letting their daughter lie like this with it all on video…”
Image credits: Good Morning America
“Her father knows his daughter is lying and is guilty. Just look at his reaction,” another said. “The fact that he is silent and looks down and away from her tells us her dad isn't buying her play-by-play explanation either.”
After widespread headlines about the incident, Alaila said she has been receiving death threats, racial slurs, and online harassment.
Nevertheless, she revealed that she has “plenty of people in [her] corner.”
Alaila said she has been receiving death threats following the incident
“My community knows my character,” she told ABC News.
Both her parents defended her and said their daughter would never intentionally attack her opponent.
“Y'all really picked the wrong child to criminalize like that,” father Genoa Everett told WSET ABC 13. “That's nowhere near her nature.”
The teenager's parents defended her as they appeared together in an interview with her
“My daughter would never do something like this; she loves everybody,” added her mother, Zeketa Cost.
Lip reader Nicola Hickling attempted to read what Alaila yelled in the moments before her baton struck Kaelen. But she told the Daily Mail that it was difficult to be certain because of the grainy footage.
The LipReader founder said the teenager may have yelled, “Get off!” and “Hey, oh!”
