A Florida teen is in custody after brutally assaulting a school employee over a Nintendo Switch. The altercation occurred on the morning of February 21 after the faculty member confiscated the student's Switch, with footage of the attack going viral on Twitter and other social media.
According to Orlando news station WKMG-TV, a 17-year-old high school student assaulted a faculty member after she confiscated his Nintendo Switch. The attack occurred at Matanzas High School in Flagler County in northeastern Florida. Flagler County Sheriff's deputies arrived at the scene and arrested the student while the victim was hospitalized for her injuries. The teenage suspect is in the custody of the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice and faces felony charges of aggravated battery with bodily harm. Authorities have not released the suspect's name because he is a minor, and it's unknown if he and the victim had any previous altercations.
WARNING: The following clip depicts a disturbing act of real-world violence.
Security camera footage of the incident went viral after it was posted to Twitter. The recording shows the woman walking down the hall when the student runs up behind her. She turned around shortly before the 6'6" 270 pounds student barreled into her and shoved her to the ground. The student then proceeds to kick and punch her repeatedly. Another woman quickly runs up and attempts to pull him off the faculty member. She is soon joined by a large group of other students and faculty who eventually succeed in restraining him, but not before the victim suffers injuries severe enough to require medical attention.
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly described the students' actions as "absolutely horrendous and completely uncalled for" in a press statement on the incident. He also thanked the Matanzas High School students and faculty who intervened in the assault and wished the victim a speedy recovery from her physical and psychological injuries.
It should go without saying that violence is not the appropriate response to having one's Nintendo Switch taken away by school employees. Gaming-related assaults are by no means common but sometimes happen, such as the case of a man from 2019 who attacked a teenager for repeatedly beating his son at a video game.
Source: WKMG-TV