MESA, Ariz. — For nearly two weeks, Tyra White has been held inside the Maricopa County Juvenile Detention Center.
“Hell, courage, and support. Feeling alive, and just overall doing better,” is how she described the experience after a judge ordered her to be released on Wednesday.
MORE INFORMATION: NAACP calls arrest of Mesa teen at school 'disturbing and troubling'
Surrounded by family and friends, she walked out to return to her Mesa home.
April 19 was the last time she was at home.
“It made me feel very happy because I hadn’t seen her in two weeks. In two weeks, I haven’t been able to eat or sleep," said her mom Tara Adams.
Tyra left for Westwood High School in Mesa that Friday morning, but wouldn’t return home, instead, she would leave the campus in handcuffs.
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Her family says for weeks, the 17-year-old complained about being bullied and harassed by students on campus.
On this day, things came to a dramatic end.
Around lunchtime, an Instagram video appears to show Tyra and another student having a conversation outside in the campus courtyard.
Her family says friends were trying to calm her down about an incident where she was reportedly grabbed by a boy, who her family says she didn’t know.
Tyra’s family says she was trying to alert security officers to the incident.
Video obtained by 12News appears to show a boy walking up to her, reaching out his right arm, and then touching her. A security guard is seen nearby.
In a second video obtained by 12News, things quickly escalate. Tyra is standing in the courtyard, with her back turned to a man, who seemingly walks up behind her to take something out of her hand.
Tyra quickly turned around and began to swing at the man when she was quickly tackled by a Mesa police officer.
According to a police report obtained by 12News, that man is an assistant principal at Westwood.
The object in her hand was a mechanical pencil.
The assistant principal was not hurt.
In their report, police said the officer was cut trying to get Tyra into custody and that she made homicidal and suicidal statements.
On April 25 Mesa police allowed 12News to review body camera video from Tyra’s arrest but we were not allowed to record any of the video or images.
12News spent two hours reviewing five different videos of the incident.
The first video from a surveillance camera from the courtyard at Westwood High School lasts nearly 15 minutes.
There’s no audio in the video. Three minutes into the video, Tyra is seen walking with a student. Seconds later, she walks to another area of the courtyard.
The second video is nearly 7 minutes of body camera video from the arresting officer. The video begins after the officer tackles Tyra in the courtyard and has her on the ground in handcuffs.
In the video, Tyra can be heard screaming and crying initially asking for her phone, purse, and glasses.
“I want him to get into trouble. I’m tired of this s***,” she says.
“I will stab him until his guts come out,” she adds.
Moments later, Tyra is put onto a golf cart and taken away in handcuffs to the nurse’s office.
In the video classmates who gathered outside to witness the entire ordeal can be heard clapping and cheering as she is being driven away.
“I was having a good day. He ruined my day. Why do you guys allow this s***?” Tyra is heard saying on the body camera inside of the school nurse’s office.
“Everybody was there clapping like I did something wrong. I was just trying to defend myself,” she added.
The third video viewed from a second Mesa police officer called for backup is also from inside the Westwood school nurse’s office.
In the video, Tyra asks to be let out of her handcuffs. “They hurt,” Tyra said.
In the video, you can hear her call for her mom and her big sister.
While in the nurse's office, school support staff and first responders arrive on the scene. School workers begin to ask her questions about the incident in the courtyard which she says she was touched. She adds she didn’t know who the boys were and couldn’t describe them.
"You don’t know what it feels like she,” Tyra said.
“The kids at lunch are coming for me, no consequences. I was walking to go sit at my spot and they came for me," Tyra added.
In the fourth video, Tyra arrives at Banner Desert Medical Center, where she was treated for injuries, she suffered as she was taken into custody.
The fifth and final video shows her in a hospital room being treated for her injuries which included a cut and bruising to her leg. In the video, her mom is seen speaking with Tyra about bullying at school and saying, “It’s going to stop.”
In the police report filed, no details were documented about Tyra's claims of bullying, or possibly being touched in the courtyard.
According to Mesa police, Tyra told investigators the incident at school started when someone made a comment about her clothing. 12News was not shown the video of her interview with detectives.
Mesa Public Schools issued the following statement to 12News about claims of bullying:
Westwood High School administration did not receive any complaints of bullying or harassment from this student prior to the incident on April 19 and are currently investigating allegations brought forth after the incident. Westwood High School and all of Mesa Public Schools take bullying seriously and follow district bullying protocol. We encourage all students to utilize safety tip lines or speak to a trusted administrator or counselor should they be a victim or witness of bullying.
"It's very disappointing because she was the victim. It's material out there that's proven that she's the victim," said Adams.
Since her arrests, family, friends, and supporters have questioned why it took nearly two weeks to have Tyra released from custody.
“When you’re under the age of 18, the judge decides everything that happens in court,” says defense attorney Benjamin Taylor who is not affiliated with the case.
The Arizona NAACP State Conference is now looking into the matter. The organization questioned the actions of the district, and why charges against her weren’t dismissed at a hearing on Wednesday.
"The complete picture has not been presented to prosecutors. So, if they don't have the complete picture, they're going on like this young lady is the aggressor, and she's not," said Pastor Andre Miller with the Arizona NAACP State Conference.
"Our biggest problem right now is the charges being dropped. This young lady was clearly distressed," said Bishop Anthony Holt, President of the Arizona NAACP State Conference.
"To turn around and criminalize her, for doing something that was caused by another factor, we have a problem with that," Holt added.
Tyra’s family says their fight for justice is far from over, but they’re just thankful to finally have her back home.
“We’re disappointed that the charges weren’t dropped,” said her sister Tailor White.
“All that matters is that she’s here with us, and back home,” she added.
Tyra’s family says they’ve started the process of getting her counseling to her and plan to remove her from Mesa Public Schools.
MPS could not confirm to 12News if Tyra had been suspended or expelled, but in a statement told 12News that she remains “enrolled” and has “opportunities at Mesa Public Schools.”
Her next court hearing is scheduled for May 20.
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