Prom night becomes fight night in Upper Darby

For at least one senior at Upper Darby High School, Friday's prom was a night to remember.

Instead of dancing the night away, the 17-year-old girl, her date, her mother, and her mother's boyfriend all spent the evening in jail after getting into a fight with three police officers outside the prom.

The girl, whose name was withheld because she is a juvenile, showed up at the prom with her date, Joshua Douglas, 24, of Philadelphia, after the two-hour window for students to arrive, said Upper Darby Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood.

School policy says that after the two-hour window, no one is allowed into the prom, Chitwood said.

When the girl and her date arrived at the Drexelbrook catering facility about 15 minutes late and were refused entrance, they got into an argument with the chaperones.

They left and returned about a half-hour later with the girl's mother, Towanda Jones, 43, and her boyfriend, Neal Jones, 50, both of Upper Darby.

Two officers, dressed in tuxes, greeted them at the door, and the arguing continued, Chitwood said.

"It turns into a donnybrook," he said.

The two officers are assigned to the high school, and officials asked them to come to the prom in formal attire to chaperone.

Those officers called for assistance, and a third officer arrived.

A fight ensued, in which Neal Jones and the officers got banged up.

All four combatants were arrested and charged with aggravated assault and other crimes, Chitwood said.