Parkview High stairwell incident results in assault charge for 2018 graduate

A violent altercation between a former girlfriend and boyfriend in a stairway at Parkview High School has resulted, months later, in a criminal charge.

Assistant Prosecutor Rachel Morgan filed a misdemeanor assault charge late last week against Tatyana Romanovna Velichiko, 18, of Springfield.

Springfield school police officer Rodney Williamson wrote in a statement used to file the charge that Velichiko was walking up the stairs to the second floor of the high school at 1:20 p.m. on March 20.

At the same time, her former boyfriend was spotted on the school's closed-circuit video system walking down the second-floor hallway toward the stairwell. She allegedly waited for him to pass and then grabbed or hit him.

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The ex-boyfriend, who has not been charged in the incident, turned around, shoved her away and she fell backwards into the wall. He turned to walk off, down the steps, and she ran after him, court documents said.

"(He) turned towards Velichiko on about the third or fourth step, in time to catch Velichiko in the air as she jumped on him. Velichiko's feet were completely off the stairs and in the air," Williamson wrote in the report. "(He) and Valichiko struggled down the steps and fell to the landing where a brief struggle took place."

According to court documents, the ex-boyfriend got up and tried again to walk away as she continued to swing punches at his legs. He skirted the edge of the landing, against the wall, to get away.

The incident was immediately reported to school officials, who reviewed video of the second floor and the stairwell. It showed the ex-boyfriend repeatedly tried to get away while Velichiko attempted to continue the altercation.

According to court documents, the ex-boyfriend told school police that Velichiko accused him of cheating and was angry. He told school police the incident started when Velichiko punched him in the back of the head several times.

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He requested to file a complaint, which was forwarded to the prosecutor's office. If she is convicted, she faces up to 15 days in jail or a fine of up to $700.

The case has been assigned to Judge Jerry Harmison and a summons has been issued for Velichiko. No hearings have yet been scheduled.

A Springfield school official confirmed Velichiko graduated in May.

Some information — such as names of victims, relationships with a defendant or locations of crimes — can be missing in News-Leader stories about sexual offenses and domestic abuse. That's due in part to a state law that redacts the identities of victims, making some information unavailable to report.

The News-Leader also tries to protect victim identities, unless victims want to speak out.

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