St. Cloud mothers brawl at school talent show

ST. CLOUD, Fla. — A St. Cloud mother who was arrested during a children's talent show shared her side of the story Wednesday.

Latisha James was arrested over the weekend at Lakeview Elementary School.

A call to 911 came just minutes after Jessica Tyler said she was violently ambushed by James in the middle of her daughter and niece's talent show.

Detectives said Wednesday the so-called victim may have been the aggresor and are recommending battery charges.

Tyler said James was standing and blocking her view, so she told her to sit down.

"I walked up to the lady, I asked her just to kneel down for a second, just so I could get a picture of my niece, and she said, 'No, I ain't ------- sitting down,'" Tyler said.

Tyler stepped in front of James to take a photo, and on her way back, said she accidentally bumped into James' small child and knocked her over.

Tyler told authorities the rage came out of nowhere, but cellphone video clearly shows Tyler push James' daughter.

James said that's when she stormed Tyler, expecting an apology. Instead, Tyler said something else.

"She said, 'I told you to move!'" James said. "Honestly, I blacked out at that point."

"The lady came after me and grabbed me by the throat and hit me in the face," Tyler said to a 911 operator.

Detectives spent late Wednesday afternoon and evening reviewing video of the brawl.

"I am very remorseful for what I've done, but I don't know what else I could have done," James said.

The mother of six said she was appalled and became emotional when she watched the video.

"Whatever the police report says, I grabbed her and hit her. I did that," James said.

James said she's not sorry for attacking the other mother, but regrets that it all happened at her child's school.

"I want all the parents and Lakeview to know that I am really, really, sorry and that's not how I behave," James said.

WFTV