HILO, Hawai'i — The state Department of Education and Hawai'i County police are conducting separate investigations into a disturbance Tuesday at Kea'au High School that led to the arrest of six students and one 17-year-old student being subdued with a Taser.

Puna police are investigating the 9:25 a.m. fight and have arrested an 18-year-old for alleged terroristic threatening in a related incident, said police Capt. Steven Guillermo.

Police say the use of the stun gun on the student was appropriate. But some parents and at least one Board of Education member are questioning the use of force.

"I'm having one of my staff analysts investigate how often this (stun gun) is being done. We want to get to the bottom of this," said BOE member Mary Cochran.

A Taser shoots two tiny barbs at the end of wires that deliver 50,000 volts of electricity, incapacitating a person by freezing the neuromuscular system.

"From my understanding, this was one officer trying to break up a fight that involved multiple participants. It reached a level where the school had to lock down," Police Chief Harry Kubojiri told the Tribune-Herald. "All indications are the officer followed our protocol in use of the device."

Noting that he hadn't yet read the officer's report, Kubojiri on Thursday said it appeared the officer's verbal commands were not heeded and that the student continued to be aggressive.

"It all happened so fast," said Kea'au High vice principal Barbara Riley. "We're still trying to figure out how it got to this point. It wasn't planned and we don't expect it to happen again."

Riley said the officer who responded to the incident happened to be on a random patrol of campus. She said there will be more police on campus as officers watch for truancy and fights.

The school has drafted a letter to parents notifying them of the increased police presence.