WEST CHESTER TOWNSHIP, Ohio — This summer, local police are showing teens how to fight off attackers.

What You Need To Know

  • Teens are learning everything from where to strike to how to get away if they ever get attacked 

  • West Chester Township Police are using real-life scenarios to teach students and recent high school grads what to do in self-defense

  • Police said they will do an additional week-long class with enough interest

Elizabeth Angelo, 17, had no idea she'd be fighting off a police officer, but after a week-long self-defense class at Lakota East Freshman School, she said she’s more prepared for the unexpected.

“I didn't expect to learn so many different techniques for defending yourself. I thought it would be more like them talking in us, like listening, but it was a lot of interaction and learning some cool moves and stuff," said Angelo. 

She’s one of more than a dozen high schoolers who went through a real-life attack. Their attackers were all officers from the West Chester Township Police Department.

School resource officer Jeff Newman and the department’s defensive tactics team are showing them what to do.

“Hand strikes, leg strikes, how to defend themselves, how to get out of certain situations, standing and on the ground,” said Newman.

He said it’s the first self-defense class they’ve done since COVID, but they said the training is the same as it has been for high schoolers for the past 10 years. Police said students are put in some of the most uncomfortable situations in hopes they’ll be able to carry it with them far beyond high school.

“Our girls heading off to college and our girls heading off to the workplace as well need to be prepared. Our world has changed a little bit and just we want our girls prepared, and for anything that comes their way,” said Newman. 

The scenarios left some of the teens a little shaken up but prepared just in case.

”It was challenging, but fun. Yeah, I kind of want to do it again,” said Angelo. 

Police said with enough interest they will do another self-defense class this summer at no charge to you.  If you or you’re teen is interested in signing up, you have to do that online through this link.