BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- Multiple fights at Bakersfield High School Friday brought dozens of police officers swarming onto campus.

School officials late Friday afternoon said there were possibly as many as eight arrests from multiple fights breaking out at BHS during school lunches.

Reports varied, with initial reports of as many as 200 or more students involved in the fights. One student later said there may have been around a dozen fights, while other students reported seeing as many as 30 students detained in handcuffs after the brawl.

Bakersfield.com reported one witness seeing a student with a knife during the fight, but dropped it. That student said the police were rough with students during the melee and that other students may have reacted to police treatment of fighting students, and any students caught near the fights while police broke them up.

A student ABC23 spoke with said, "Students were gathered on F Street and then many of them suddenly poured into Warren Hall. I had to go in there to get to my class. Police had two students in corners in the hall and security were holding at least two others. I almost didn't know what to do -- it was so chaotic in the hall. If you were in the way of running students or police you were going to get knocked down. Teachers were yelling at students to get in the classrooms. This girl was crying in the classroom when I got inside."

The same student said he saw at least 40-50 officers on campus lined up outside of Warren Hall.

Students said some of the fights broke out near the student store. One student said the fights were pre-planned, as he heard rumors in the days leading up to the brawl, and may have been racially motivated, though Bakersfield.com reported there was no indication of such.

According to the Bakersfield Police Department, they responded to a fight at BHS around 1 p.m. Upon arrival they tried to separate fighting students. As they pulled students away from the fight, they said bystanders tried to pull officers away from fighting students.

One of the students, a 16-year-old male, struck an officer in the face, police said. That juvenile was tackled and a Taser was used on the student. The student was taken to Kern Medical Center. Police said they will charge him with assaulting a peace officer, fighting in public, refusing to disperse and resisting arrest.

The officer was not injured.

Kern High School District's Director of Pupil Personnel Alan Paradise said the fight broke out during fourth period lunch between two students. He said Kern High School District police arrested those students, who were taken to Juvenile Hall.

During fifth period lunch another fight broke out. Those students were also arrested by campus police and taken to Juvenile Hall, according to Paradise.

Police said there were three 15-year-old males and one 15-year-old female arrested.

One of the 15-year-old males and the teenage girl were released to their parents.

More than a dozen police vehicles and officers could be seen around the campus more than an hour after the fight. A perimeter had clearly been established while buses waited to take students home from school.

When asked if the fight was gang-related, Paradise said, "We don't have any indication as to the cause."

Activities on campus were halted for Friday night.

There were no reports of injuries.