Late last month, horrifying video footage emerged from a high school in Florida showing a tall, heavyset male student chasing after and beating up his teacher.
According to reports, the male student had allegedly been upset over the teacher taking his Nintendo Switch from him during class time.
Afterward, the unhinged student told local deputies that he will “beat her up” every time she tries to take his console. He also reportedly issued a death threat.
Towering male HS student unrepentant after flattening female teacher, beating her while seemingly unconscious https://t.co/dD5yxtpl5R pic.twitter.com/b88y2cDorl
— Conservative News (@BIZPACReview) February 25, 2023
Weeks later, justice is now finally starting to be served.
According to Flagler Live, a local outlet, State Attorney R.J. Larizza decided to charge the suspect, identified as Brendan Depa, as an adult.
Moreover, Larizza decided to apply a felony aggravated assault charge that’s punishable by up to 30 years of imprisonment.
He also chose to hold Depa on a $1 million bond.
Triple ouch …
Depa is reportedly fighting back. On Friday, his defense attorney, Kurt Teifke, filed a motion titled “suggestion of mental incompetence to stand trial.”
“Review of pertinent school, medical and mental health records, as well as information learned through the defendant as well as collateral sources (to include family members), leads the undersigned to have a reasonable, good faith belief that the defendant is not mentally competent to stand trial,” the motion reads, according to The Daytona Beach News-Journal.
Evidently, Depa suffers from some sort of “intellectual disability,” including possibly autism.
Indeed, court documents reportedly show that Depa had been living at East Coast Habilitation Options (ECHO), a group home that describes itself as a “group home agency for behaviorally challenged children and young adults.”
A help-wanted ad for the group home reportedly says it “helps children, teens and adults with autism, intellectual disabilities, and behavior challenges.”
Some supporters of Depa believe that this is reason enough for his case to remain in juvenile court:
@Blklivesmatter Where are y’all at for #brendandepa who is being wrongly treated by @Sao7FL and using him as a political tool for advancement? I’m on the right wing but this is about right v wrong in what is happening with this autistic child. I humbly ask for you help
— Prince4everPurpleYoda (@Christi57966479) March 4, 2023
for him now. He needs someone on his side. I’m on his side. He matters to me. His life counts to me. May Yahweh touch your heart into doing the right thing and not let him become political fodder for vile person looking to gain in his career. Please read what they are doing 2 him
— Prince4everPurpleYoda (@Christi57966479) March 4, 2023
During Friday’s hearing, Teifke also filed a plea of not guilty and requested more time to file additional motions.
The News-Journal notes that this isn’t Depa’s first rodeo: “Juvenile justice records listed three misdemeanor battery charges against Depa, all of which took place in the 13th Judicial Circuit which covers Hillsborough County. The charges were each listed as first-degree misdemeanors, according to records.”
The first charge was for an incident that occurred on June 5, 2019. The second was for one that occurred on April 25th. And the third was for one that occurred on March 22nd.
“The record indicates that in all three misdemeanor battery cases Depa was referred to a program known as JDAP. Another notation mentions JDAP Bays,” according to the News-Journal.
The newspaper believes this is a reference to a juvenile diversion program out of Tampa that “provides services including monitoring and anger management and strives to minimize the risk of the youth becoming a repeat offender.”
Based on Depa’s extensive history of violence, as well as the fact that he’s almost 18 anyway, most members of the public appear to believe that there really is no other option but to forward him into the adult system.
The belief is that the young man has proven time and time again that he simply isn’t cut out to function in a civilized society. The belief is further that if left to his own devices, he’ll eventually kill someone.
Look:
This rabid creature needs to be caged for the rest of its natural born life.
— Gotham Resistance (@Gothamresist) March 2, 2023
So he was 13 when he was arrested for battery 3 times in 2019? Seems like he has a one way ticket ahead of him to the closest prison.
— Kim (@girlsluvcrypto) March 1, 2023
People that act this way don’t change. It’s a pattern of behavior. I don’t care if he’s 17 or not, multiple incidents like this, people won’t ever change.
— Mitch Blackwell (@mitchtblackwell) February 28, 2023
So, three times. In other words, the kid gloves failed. Even if it is us who created the monster, the monster should have been subdued prior to this and then the attempt to discover how it was created should have commenced in earnest.
— John Myers (@SAABisDEAD) February 28, 2023
“Was arrested 3 times for battery”- Even after that if he did not change, it raises question about the legal system.
The legal system is meant to raise fear in the minds of criminals, so they don’t commit crime.
Clearly the dude doesn’t fear the system.— UniqOne (@theuniq0ne) March 1, 2023
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V. Saxena is a staff writer for BizPac Review with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University.
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