FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. – The 17-year-old boy accused of punching and kicking a Flagler County school employee unconscious over a Nintendo Switch last week will face charges as an adult, according to the Seventh Judicial Circuit Court.
Brendan Depa will be transferred to adult court, where he faces an aggravated battery charge in a violent attack Tuesday morning on a paraprofessional at Matanzas High School, court records filed Friday show.
[READ COURT RECORD BELOW]
17-year-old to be tried as an adult by Sam Dunne on Scribd
According to the state attorney’s office, Depa “did actually and intentionally touch or strike (the victim) against the will of (her) and in doing so used a deadly weapon, and/or intentionally or knowingly caused great bodily harm, permanent disability, or permanent disfigurement.”
According to the sheriff’s office, a student initially told deputies Depa became upset when the employee took his Nintendo Switch away during class.
Video of the violent attack shows the 17-year-old— who is 6 feet, 6 inches tall and weighs 270 pounds — push the employee to the ground, charge toward her and push her toward the ground. From that point, she was unconscious, deputies said.
According to an arrest report, a school resource officer said surveillance video showed the woman was pushed 5-6 feet before ending up on the ground.
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Deputies said the teen then began kicking and punching her in the head and back, hitting her 15 times total.
Depa was initially taken to the Department of Juvenile Justice, and the employee was taken to the hospital to be treated.
“The actions of this student are absolutely horrendous and completely uncalled for,” Sheriff Rick Staly said in a release last week. “We hope the victim will be able to recover, both mentally and physically, from this incident. Thankfully, students and staff members came to the victim’s aid before the SRDs could arrive. Our schools should be a safe place – for both employees and students.”
17-year-old Court Document by Sam Dunne on Scribd
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