KING COUNTY – Former Mount Si student Shaun Maurer, 19, of Klahanie, has been charged with second-degree assault for his role in the beating of an Issaquah High School student last month.

Maurer was picked up by King County Sheriff’s deputies on Monday, Jan. 27, for his role in a fight involving 60 or more Mount Si and Issaquah high-school students near the Lake Tradition trail head on Tuesday, Jan. 14.

Issaquah senior Jason Kauweloa, 17, required more than 100 stitches to his face following the fight. The incident stemmed from a Friday, Jan. 10, basketball game at Mount Si where a group of students from both schools began taunting each other. A fight set up for that night was later canceled. A new fight was rescheduled for Jan. 14.

According to charging papers Kauweloa said he went to the fight to help one of his friends whom he thought was in danger. Upon arriving, Kauweloa’s friend drove away, causing him to flee the scene. Kauweloa told police during the run he lost a shoe, turned around and was hit. The next thing the high-school student remembered was waking up in an aid car en route to the hospital, Kauweloa told police, and could not identify his attacker.

Charging papers state that on Thursday, Jan. 23, a detective called Maurer regarding the incident and the suspect admitted hitting Kauweloa, but said he did it once and that it was in self-defense. Maurer, who was expelled from Mount Si in 2000, said that with the crowd of students running toward him, he became scared and threw one punch. After hitting Kauweloa and seeing him on the ground, Maurer said he told people to call 911. Maurer told police that he did not strike Kauweloa with a pair of crutches as some had speculated.

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