ORANGE COUNTY PERSPECTIVE : Assumptions Can Be Dangerous

Newport Beach police were wise to drop charges against a former Estancia High School football star who was arrested while standing on the sidelines of a game between his alma mater and Corona del Mar High School.

While a bitter taste lingers, Estancia High officials can be proud of the way they handled the situation. They can also continue to use it to bring home some important lessons for their students.

Meanwhile, the Newport Beach Police Department should make good on its promise to rethink its responsibilities at high school functions. From various accounts of the Sept. 25 arrest, it was so poorly handled that it could have led to a free-for-all.

The trouble began when Corona del Mar High officials asked that visiting Estancia’s sidelines be cleared, apparently fearful about possible gang activity. Ricardo Aguilar, 18, who had permission to be on the sidelines, was talking at the time with his former Estancia High coach. Witnesses say he was approached by two hostile police officers, thus provoking an altercation. The trouble escalated when students, who were behind a fence, reacted angrily. The end result was Aguilar’s arrest.

Estancia Principal Frank Infusino protested the police actions, saying he believed they were unnecessarily provocative and may have been motivated by “racist attitudes.” In later dropping their case, Newport Beach Police acknowledged that “prosecution . . . would not be in the interest of justice.” Amen.

Infusino admonished Estancia students who left the stands and confronted police. In a letter after the altercation, he gave the right message to students by encouraging them to use “reasoned protest” and “proper channels” to register their anger.

Also in his message to Estancia students and staff, Infusino hit the right note when he said that the incident provided an opportunity for the school to show that ethnicity and gang activity were not synonymous.

There’s a lesson in this confrontation for Newport Beach police, too. They also need to reflect on their handling of a potentially volatile situation.