An after-school fight Friday at Roseville Area High School landed several students in juvenile detention, police said.

Police officers were called to the school shortly after classes let out at 2:40 p.m., and Ramsey County sheriff's deputies were brought in to help quell the melee, said Roseville Police Lt. Lorne Rosand.

Four or five students were arrested on suspicion of gross-misdemeanor rioting at the school, he said.

"Those individuals are now being processed here at the Police Department and will ultimately be booked at the juvenile detention center here in Ramsey County and held for formal charging [decisions] and court Monday morning," he said.

An ambulance was called to the school, at 1240 W. County Road B2, but school officials said no injuries were reported.

Officers were still writing reports, Rosand said Friday evening, so he didn't know what sparked the fight. Karen Schaub, School District spokeswoman, said she also didn't know.

School officials are in early stages of investigating the incident, which appeared limited to a small group, though many gathered to watch, she said.

Parents were notified via e-mail and this recorded phone message:

"At the end of the day today [Friday], as students were leaving school, there was a physical altercation with a small group of students. Due to school dismissal, a large crowd gathered. Police aided school staff in helping disperse the crowd of students home for the day. No student injuries were reported. The safety and well-being of your student remains our number one priority."

JOY POWELL