A 17-year-old high school student was arrested for allegedly attacking a school employee and knocking her unconscious after she took away his Nintendo Switch during class.
The Flagler County Sheriff's Office said the incident happened Tuesday (February 21) morning at Matanzas High School in Palm Coast. School resource deputies reportedly found a female paraprofessional lying on the ground "bloody with severe injuries."
The boy told deputies he got upset after she took away his gaming console, according to an arrest report. Documents claimed the teenager said he will "beat her up every time she takes away his game" and "when he comes back he is going to kill her."
Investigators reviewed surveillance footage, which reportedly caught the student, who's 6'6" and 270 pounds, walking fast at the victim. The 17-year-old then pushed the paraprofessional several feet, knocking her onto the school floor and leaving her unconscious.
Authorities said he started kicking and punching the unconscious victim "several times in the back and head." Bystanders jumped in to protect the victim, who was rushed to a local hospital. No word on her condition as of Thursday afternoon (February 23).
A Flagler Schools spokesperson told WOFL the victim has been with the district since 2004 and has been working as a paraprofessional since 2021. They also noted that paraprofessionals are assigned to students with an individualized education program (IEP).
The 17-year-old was arrested and charged with felony aggravated battery with bodily harm. He was booked into Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility and later turned over to the Department of Juvenile Justice, according to the sheriff's office.
“The actions of this student are absolutely horrendous and completely uncalled for,” Sheriff Rick Staly wrote in a statement. “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.”