Farmington H.S. Students Could Face Charges After Homecoming Prank

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- To some members of Farmington High School's Class of 2015, what happened during homecoming week was only a prank. But authorities aren't laughing and now some students could face criminal charges.

Farmington Police Chief Brian Lindquist says over the years they've seen wars between the senior class and juniors during homecoming, but never anything like this.

"At some point in time, somebody thought it would be a good idea to stage an abduction. They did that. The senior class, those involved, ended up abducting four juniors," Farmington Police Chief Brian Lindquist said.

Lindquist says two of the students were forced into the back seat of car. One of them had their hands zip-tied behind their back. Two more juniors were also zip-tied, but they were forced into the trunk of the car.

Police say the driver took them for a long ride with several other cars following behind. The prank came to an end when the driver got into a minor accident near the high school.

The group then set the juniors free and ran from the scene.

"Something we are all subject to is peer pressure, and how that affects your reasoning and what you decide to do. If that is the cool thing that is going on, I can see where you would be subject to being part of that really quick," Lindquist said.

Farmington High School Principal Jason Berg says he can't disclose what punishment, if any, was dealt to those involved.

"Anytime we see kids not making the greatest decisions we use those as learning opportunities and try to get them to build some capacity to make better decisions," Berg said.

Police learned about the prank after getting an anonymous phone call the next day. They say as many as 17 students were involved.

The Dakota County Attorney is now reviewing the case to determine whether charges should be filed. The possibilities include kidnapping, assault and disorderly conduct.