Nearly two months after a brawl broke out a Sharon-Farrell high school basketball game, local authorities said they are close to charging more people.

Mercer County District Attorney James Epstein said two to four adults will be charged and 12 juveniles petitioned in the fight that broke out Feb. 2 in the bleachers at Sharon High School gymnasium. He said the charges may be filed next week.

There are a variety of reasons it has taken so long to complete the investigation, Epstein and Sharon police said.

"We ran it (the investigation) like a major investigation," said Sharon Police Chief Thomas Burke. He said he hopes the public realizes it was a thorough investigation that included interviews with a considerable number witnesses.

Police and the district attorney's office interviewed 38 police and 70 other witnesses including students, spectators and Sharon Regional Health System staff, Epstein said. He added they had a "good cross section of witnesses from each location where something occurred, and that was our goal."

Police from Sharon, Hermitage, Southwest Mercer County Regional, Sharpsville, Shenango Township, South Pymatuning Township, the Mercer County Sheriff's office and the state police all responded to the melee, Epstein said.

"We're in a unique situation of having a criminal investigation that, unlike most, was in fact witnessed by a substantial number of people in addition to the police," Epstein said.

Epstein said investigators considered it irresponsible not to interview everyone involved "which is why the investigation took the length of time it did."

Though there was videotape of the incident, Epstein said it "wouldn't have been professional or responsible" to charge people based only on the video.

Another factor that played a part in the investigation were "serious allegations about police conduct that also required an investigation," Epstein said.

Some Farrell city and school officials accused the police of using unnecessary force against students.

"Our conclusion was that the police acted in good faith," Epstein said. "The officers who were in the gymnasium were in an absolutely no-win situation."

Had police not acted they would have been criticized for their inaction, Epstein said. As it was they was they were criticized for their response.

Farrell Councilman and school administrator Louis Falconi was one person who criticized the police. Falconi said this morning he doesn't want to comment on whether he's satisfied with the investigation until "it's official" and made public.

Epstein said there were no serious injuries with the exception of one child who jumped onto a policeman's back and was shrugged off onto the ground. That child was treated at a local hospital.

Sixteen people in all were treated at local hospitals. Epstein said people involved and some bystanders were hit by pepper spray. Five police officers also suffered minor injuries.

Had this situation occurred 25 years ago the police wouldn't have had access to pepper spray and would have been forced to use Billy clubs to control the crowd, Epstein said.

The brawl started out as a fight in the student section of the stands between a boy and a girl, one from Sharon and one from Farrell.

As police made their way into the crowd the fight quickly escalated into a brawl. Police all said they were being "pummeled and struck by people in the crowd," Epstein said.

Though police said they felt people grabbing at their equipment belts they didn't make the specific charge of someone grabbing for their guns, Epstein said. He added one witness said they saw someone grab for a policeman's gun but the witness couldn't identify the attacker or the policeman.

Epstein said it's also very important to remember that when an on-duty police officer gives instructions or an order, "it's not negotiable, it's not up for debate." If someone feels police have acted out of order, Epstein says the best and proper response is to file a complaint and go to court, not to try to resolve it on the street.

Though school officials have decided to cancel Sharon-Farrell football and boy's basketball games next year, Epstein said he hopes the long-standing rivalry will continue on the playing field.

"It's generally been a healthy rivalry. Kids will be kids. This unfortunately developed into something more," Epstein said.

Epstein said over the years he's handled similar cases including a wedding reception that got out of hand, but he's never had a case with involving such a large number of people.

So far only one person, Jesse J. "J.J." Wilson, 20, of 709 Sherman Ave., Sharon, was charged in the melee. Wilson pleaded guilty March 21 to resisting arrest and disorderly conduct.

You can e-mail Herald Staff Writer Kristen Garrett at kgarrett@sharon-herald.com