A mental health activist has called for the 17-year-old student accused of beating a Florida teacher aide unconscious for taking her “Nintendo Switch” be sent to a psychiatric institution, not jail.
The security cameras of the Matanzas High School, in Flagler County, captured the beating that the young man gave the employee in a corridor. The student did not stop punching and kicking the victim until school personnel stopped him.
In the images, it is seen when the boy pushes the woman almost two meters away from where he was. The student kicks the helper even after she is there and she loses consciousness of her.
The special needs student who is 6’6″ and weighs 270 pounds attacked the adult on Tuesday. The names of the victim and the perpetrator have not been released.
After the beating, the minor spat at the victim and threatened to kill her.
Sue Urban, whose 17-year-old son committed suicide after graduating from the same school, defended the minor through a live video on Facebook.
As he pointed out, the boy lived in a group home without his parents.
“That child has mental health problems. He’s just a kid,” Urban alleged.
“The teacher, that paraprofessional, should never have been left alone in a situation where she could be attacked,” she said.
The user also indicated that she is tired of being labeled as a threat to these children.
“Many have taken to social media to request jail time for the student, who has been charged with a juvenile offense for aggravated assault, and to call the boy an animal,” he said.
“The boy should not have been transferred to prison, he should have been transferred to a mental health institution,” Urban said. “Please stop labeling this minor as a monster. Yes, his size is a big factor, but he didn’t know what he was doing wrong, ”the woman considered.
The suspect is currently in the custody of the Department of Juvenile Justice. He faces up to five years in prison if convicted of the attack.
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly told WESH that the incident may have led to a homicide.
“When you push people down like that and they hit their heads, you never know the outcome,” he warned.
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