One charged for fights at Whitman-Hanson football game Friday

The fights allegedly involved an assault on a police officer, a student kicking another in the head, and a knife.

Whitman Hanson High School in 2008. Matthew J. Lee/The Boston Globe, file

Police are pursuing charges against one student and may seek charges against others after two separate fights broke out at a Whitman-Hanson Regional High School football game Friday evening.

The fights allegedly involved an assault on a police officer, a student kicking another in the head, and a knife, the Hanson Police Department wrote online.

Principal Christopher Jones wrote in a statement that one night does “not define” the school.

“We do not condone this behavior. We are disgusted by it, because it does not reflect who we are or what we expect,” Jones wrote. “It does not represent the vast majority of our students, who showed up, cheered, and celebrated the right way.”

Police were on site at the time of the first fight. One student involved in the fight allegedly refused to comply with police and assaulted an officer who was trying to break up the altercation, police wrote.

Police took the student to the Hanson Police Department and are pursuing criminal charges against them. The student will be summonsed to juvenile court, police wrote.

Hanson police did not respond to an inquiry from Boston.com about the exact charges they are pursuing against the student.

Another fight broke out later in the game, with one student repeatedly kicking and stomping on the head of another student, according to police. A participant in the fight allegedly brought out a knife but did not use it, police wrote.

The second fight is still under investigation, as police are working to identify the students involved and their roles in the fight. No students involved in that fight have been taken into custody yet, police wrote.

“Hanson Police enjoy being on the field to support Whitman-Hanson teams. The objective of officers is to maintain a safe and healthy environment for students, student athletes, and spectators,” Hanson police wrote in a statement. “Those who create an unsafe environment are dealt with swiftly and professionally to ensure the safety of all.”

The football game, which took place at Dennis M. O’Brien Field, pitted Whitman-Hanson against Silver Lake High School. The game honored seniors, introduced the school’s newest hall of fame inductees, and raised awareness for breast cancer, the school wrote online.

Whitman-Hanson High School wrote on Facebook that there was “so much special” about the game, which the school lost 21-13. The post asked people to not judge the school based on the actions of four individuals.

Police wrote the two fights involved students in the Whitman-Hanson School District who were watching the game. No Silver Lake students and no football players were involved in the fights, according to police.

Jones wrote most of the students involved were students at Whitman-Hanson, but some were “non-students.” He added the offending students will face “school consequences.”

There will also be “noticeable changes” to the supervision and expectations for spectators attending the school’s games, Jones wrote. Those details will be shared before the next home game, which is scheduled for Oct. 23 against Duxbury High School.

Jones wrote that nothing like the incident has taken place at the school’s sporting events in more than a decade.

“Last night was supposed to be about our seniors and our Hall of Fame inductees. For most of the night, it was. Then it wasn’t,” Jones wrote. “Friday nights at [Whitman-Hanson] belong to our students and families. We are going to protect that.”