A Gainesville Police Department (GPD) school resource officer pepper-sprayed two Lincoln Middle School female students involved in a fight on Thursday morning.

According to a GPD release, the incident occurred around 10:30 a.m. in between classes when a fight between two juvenile females broke out at Lincoln Middle School in Gainesville.

A GPD school resource officer (SRO) was within a few feet of the altercation and intervened to separate the two students. The fight escalated, however, as a large crowd gathered with several students cheering and reportedly adding to the intensity of the altercation.

To de-escalate the situation, the SRO deployed two short bursts of pepper spray directed at the two students involved in the fight. One of the students fled the area while the SRO escorted the other student to the nurse’s office.

Several students in close proximity to the altercation experienced secondary exposures to the bursts of pepper spray, but none were sprayed directly. The students with secondary exposure were treated on scene by Gainesville Fire Rescue and Alachua County Fire Rescue emergency responders and the affected hallways were ventilated.

The GPD release stated that the pepper spray is considered a safer alternative than using a Taser or attempting to physically take students to the ground.

The two combatants were issued juvenile civil citations and will face additional discipline from the school district.