By Steve Lyttle and Meghan Cooke
slyttle@charlotteobserver.com; macooke@charlotteobserver.com

Three students were arrested after police were called Tuesday morning to break up a fight at Vance High School -- at least the third time this year that law enforcement has been needed to deal with brawling students at the University City school.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police say officers were called to the school about 7 a.m. and that they worked with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools resource officers to bring the situation, which occurred in the school's cafeteria, under control.

CMPD spokesman Officer Robert Fey said police used a Taser to subdue Donavan Meeks, 17, who was charged with disorderly conduct, inciting a riot, and resisting an officer.

During Meeks' arrest, police arrested two other teens, Fey said.

DaQuan Davidson, 19, was charged with disorderly conduct and inciting a riot after police said he was seen standing on a cafeteria table and attempting to incite other students.

Another student, D'Aunte Conner, 17, was charged with inciting a riot and damage to property after police said he tried to escalate the situation and punched and damaged a cafeteria window.

CMS officials were not available for comment.

Statistics released last month showed 61 students had been arrested between last August and early February at Vance High -- the most in the school system. Hugh Hattabaugh, CMS' chief operating officer, said at the time that many of the arrests came in two incidents -- the vandalizing of a mobile classroom unit; and a fight in early January, when about 10 students were arrested.

Police were called to the school a second time in January to break up a fight.

Extra security has been added to the school, and CMS last year moved a new principal, Valarie Williams, to Vance as part of an effort to improve student performance there.

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