By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2025-03-12 17:26:46 | Updated at 2025-03-12 22:19:06
5 hours ago
The track star who was seen hitting her opponent in the head with a baton has shared new footage that she says proves the alleged attack was an accident.
The incident was first revealed in now-viral footage over the weekend during an indoor track championship in Virginia.
In the clip, Alaila Everett was seen striking Kaelen Tucker in the back of her head during the 4x200m relay event, leaving her with a concussion.
Tucker was running the second leg of the relay for Lynchburg's Brookville High School when she passed Everett of I.C. Norcom High School on the outside.
Now, after claiming the recorded hit was an accident, Everett has shared a new angle of the moment that she said proves her innocence.
'I would never do that on purpose. That's not in my character,' Everett told Good Morning America on Tuesday.
She told the outlet that during the track meet her arm got stuck, leading her to unintentionally whack Tucker in the head.
'Her arm was literally hitting the baton - until she got a little ahead, and my arm got stuck like this,' Everett said while making the movement herself to physically show what she said happened.
A new angel of the video where Alaila Everett was seen striking Kaelen Tucker in the back of her head during the 4x200m relay event in Virginia has been revealed
Everett (pictured) said the new clip proves that she accidentally hit Tucker in the head that day after her arm got stuck when the track star came up next to her
In the newly released clip, the track stars were seen running from a new angle that showed them from behind.
Tucker, dressed in a yellow shirt and black shorts, was seen running alongside Everett.
Just as she passed her slightly, Everett, dressed in all black, swung the arm she was holding the baton in and hit Tucker in the head with it.
Tucker then dropped her baton, stumbled off the track, grabbed her head and kneeled on the ground.
'I just felt a bang on my head and fell off the track immediately,' Tucker told WVEC-TV.
A lip reader exclusively revealed to DailyMail.com what Everett said to Tucker at that moment.
Expert Nicola Hickling, who is the founder of LipReader, said Everett shouted 'get off' and 'hey oh' as she hit Tucker.
Hickling reviewed multiple versions of the footage in coming to her conclusion, while also adding that the quality of the footage made it difficult to be completely certain.
Kaelen, pictured at a meet in January, says Everett has not apologized for her actions
Tucker (on right) is seen inching a bit ahead of Everett (on left) just before the moment occurred
Everett said she has been receiving death threats and racial slurs since it all went down.
In her tearful interview with Wavy.com, Everett said: 'Nobody is going to believe me because I can admit from the video it does look purposeful. But I know my intentions and I would never hit anybody on purpose.'
She added: 'After a couple times of hitting her, my baton got stuck behind her back like this, and it rolled up her back. I lost my balance and, when I pumped my arms again, she got hit.'
Everett insisted there is more to her - and the incident - than first appears in the short clip.
'They are assuming my character, calling me ghetto and racial slurs, death threats,' she said. 'All of this off of a nine-second video.'
She added: 'Everybody has feelings, so you’re physically hurt, but you’re not thinking of my mental (health).'
Everett's mother was also overcome with emotion as she defended her daughter.
'I didn’t have to see the first video, second video or tenth video. I know 100 percent that she would never do that to nobody,' Zeketa Cost said.
Her mother and father, Genoa Cost, also alleged in the interview that they have been hit with court papers by the Tuckers, who are looking to take out a protective order against their daughter's attacker.
'It doesn’t seem right that this would happen and now we have to go to a city three hours away that everyone hates our guts already,' Genoa said about the prospect of heading back to Virginia after receiving the court papers.
Tucker said she has not received an apology for Everett's actions that day.
Afterwards, Tucker said: 'I still can't believe it, I'm in shock...I'm still trying to take it all in, I can't believe it happened.'
She added: 'Why did you do it, and why haven't you apologized?'
But, according to Everett, she has tried to contact Tucker on social media, only to discover she has been blocked.
In the clip, Everett can be seen pulling her right arm back and smacking the baton she was carrying across her opponent's head
Everett (pictured) said she have been receiving death threats and racial slurs since it all went down
I.C. Norcom High School was disqualified following the incident for 'contact interference' - or physically interfering with another runner's actions.
Tucker's mother, Tamarro, initially told WSET that no one from Norcom came over to check on her daughter or apologize.
Tucker's parents have since told Abc News that Genoa called them to say he was sorry. The athletic director at I.C. Norcom High School also issued an apology.
The Virginia High School League told the outlet that the organization 'thoroughly' investigates 'every instance like this.'
'The VHSL membership has always made it a priority to provide student-athletes with a safe environment for competition,' they added.
