LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Chaos on a Jefferson County Public Schools bus from Westport Middle School with students spilled into chaos off the bus with adults.
Now two men face charges following the incident Wednesday in St. Matthews.
Terrence Bevly, 18, and Nicolas Byrd, 19, both of Louisville, were arrested for disorderly conduct, assault of a police officer, menacing and resisting arrest.
According to court records, St. Matthews Police were sent to the 4900 block of Shelbyville Road around 5 p.m. to a reported incident on a JCPS bus.
When officers arrived at the parking lot of a fast food restaurant near Bowling Boulevard, the bus driver told police that while she was driving, kids were fighting and smoking weed. The driver said when she confronted the kids, a "giant argument ensued" between her and the students on board. She called the bus compound, and someone there called 911 for assistance.
"I was literally shaking, eyes blood shot red, head pounding when I got home," bus driver Jazzilin Williams said.
An arrest report said children were calling their family members, who then arrived on the scene, including Bevly and Byrd.
The bus driver told police she tried to drive back to the school, but "the kids on the bus continued to yell and distract the driver." Williams decided to drive back to the parking lot for the safety of the children.
The arrest report said the officer got on the bus to talk to the driver, who told police she felt threatened by Bevly and Byrd, and felt as "though she was in danger of imminent physical injury." That's when the officer said Bevly went to the driver-side window of the bus and started arguing with the driver. The officer said he told the men to leave, but they refused multiple times.
"I had to try to protect your kids, defend myself, and make sure that everything was done properly," Williams said.
Another bus was called to the parking lot to pick up the students and finish the route.
Cullen Hair, a seventh grade student at Westport Middle School, was one of the students on the bus.
"I've never experienced something that stressful, and I was kind of like stressing out," Hair said.
In a video shot by a parent, you can hear screaming and see officers trying to break up some adults. The video shows an officer take a man in a red shirt to the ground and handcuff him. An officer also handcuffed a man in a white shirt. A parent said the other woman being held by officers in the video is another parent.
"I'm not mad at that woman, I'm not mad at her children, but at the end of the day I'm a person, I want to be respected," Williams said.
JCPS Chief Communications Officer Carolyn Callahan released a statement Thursday that said "JCPS is investigating the incident that took place yesterday afternoon. The driver of the bus will not be driving during the investigation."
In St. Matthews Police video, you can see the bus was pulled over off of Shelbyville Road near Mall St. Matthews.
The bus driver told WDRB News that the windows on the bus were open and she could smell students smoking weed on the bus. She said the bus was packed with 73 Westport Middle students, three to a seat. She said there were problems before the bus even left the school, with staff having to get onto the bus to make sure each student would sit down and behave.
She said when she was driving, students were cussing at her, rocking the bus and opening the emergency back and side doors. The driver said a couple students even jumped out of the back door of the moving bus onto Shelbyville Road.
Both Bevly and Byrd are scheduled to be in court Oct. 16.
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