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A Kearney woman received two years probation Monday after pleading guilty to child endangerment charges stemming from her involvement in a fight among teenage girls in April.

On Monday, July 6, Sherri L. Turner, 46, of Kearney pleaded guilty in Clay County Court. The first-degree endangering the welfare of a child charge came with her arrest April 8, according to court documents. It was later amended to a Class A misdemeanor of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child.

Turner was seen on a cell phone video encouraging and “coaching” teenage girls who had ganged up in a fight against another teen.

Turner was sentenced to a year in the county jail, but that was suspended. She was placed on probation for two years. If she violates the terms of probation in that two years, she would have to serve a year in jail, said Jim Roberts, spokesman for the Clay County prosecutor.

She was also sentenced to 30 hours of community service and must take a parenting class, court documents state.

According to the April arrest affidavit, which is a collection of witness statements and observances of the cell phone video, Turner told authorities she drank three beers before allowing her daughter and a friend drive Turner’s car — with her in it — to a fight at about 5:30 p.m. April 7 at an abandoned bridge near 172^nd Street and Bishop Road north of Kearney in Clay County.

Turner told authorities she tried to break up the fight after the camera was turned off. She also told authorities she was too scared to break up the fight.

The statement of probable cause states that upon review of the video, it appeared Turner was coaching one teenage girl in the fight and at one point Turner stepped into the frame when the fight got close to her car and asked the girls to get away from the car. The girls continued to assault each other.

Four witnesses — all 15 and 16 years old — plus the 16-year-old victim were cited in the statement of probable cause, filed by Sgt. U.A. Allen, detective with the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.

In her statement, the victim stated she had made arrangements to meet another teenager at the abandoned bridge to fight. After the fight started, the victim said she was “jumped and hit” by several other teenage girls on the scene. She was treated for a bloody nose and released by EMS.

The victim told authorities that one girl’s mother — Turner — was on the scene during the assault.

A warrant for Turner’s arrest was served on April 8 with $20,000 bond. Turner posted bond the next day.

On April 9, Turner pleaded not guilty before ultimately pleading guilty July 6.

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