The case against Shaquille G. Brooks, a Northern High School student, was placed on the stet, or inactive, docket after a preliminary hearing in Calvert County Circuit Court on Wednesday afternoon.

Brooks, 19, of Chesapeake Beach was issued a criminal summons March 9 charging him with second-degree assault, disturbing school operation and disorderly conduct.

His case was placed on the stet docket on conditions that he complete 40 hours of community service and have no unlawful conduct with the victim.

At about noon on March 7, school liaison officer Deputy J. Lord of the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office was told by the school safety advocate, William McMeins, that a fight had occurred between two students during the first lunch hour, according to charging documents.

McMeins told Lord that Brooks and another student had gotten into an argument over a chair. McMeins said the two students began physically fighting and both students “struck each other with fists,” causing a large group of kids to gather around the fight, deputies said.

During an interview, the other student said at about 11:17 that day he was in the cafeteria sitting with his friends during the first lunch hour and got up from his chair at the lunch table. When he came back to the table, he said Brooks had taken his chair. He confronted Brooks about it, and Brooks said he was not going to give him the chair back.

The student said he grabbed the chair and pulled it and Brooks then allegedly turned around and punched him multiple times, according to charging documents. The student was hit about 10 times in the head and face and was pulled to the ground, where Brooks allegedly got on top of him and continued to kick and punch him, charging documents state. Deputies said the student then hit Brooks in the face about five times in order to defend himself.

A cartilage piercing in the student’s ear had been ripped out during the fight, and deputies said blood was coming from a piercing in his left ear and his nose was red and swollen. He also had a scratch about a half-inch long between his eyebrows, deputies said.

Brooks told deputies he had gotten up from his chair during lunch and when he went back to his table, his chair was missing and another student had taken it. Brooks said he and that student got into an argument “over who the chair belonged to” when the student allegedly pushed Brooks. Brooks said he then punched the student in the face and when he went to the ground, Brooks kicked him, according to charging documents.

Brooks told deputies if he had not been pushed he would not have punched and kicked back. Deputies said no signs of injury were visible on Brooks.

kfitzpatrick@somdnews.com