King Middle School student charged with assaulting deputy during arrest

MANATEE -- A school resource officer at King Middle School arrested a 12-year-old student after the student refused orders by school officials, and he then reacted to the arrest by punching the deputy, according to the Manatee County Sheriff's Office.

The student was eating breakfast in the school cafeteria at King Middle School, 600 75th Street NW, when he got up to confront another student, according to an arrest report. The school dean stopped him and told him to return to his seat, but he ignored her and went to another seat.

He was directed to go to the school suspension room once other students had left the cafeteria but refused to move. The SRO was called, who informed the student he was "impeading (sic) people from being able to complete their jobs and creating a safety hazard on campus."

When the student still refused to move, the SRO told him he was under arrest and grabbed his right wrist, according to the report. The student pulled away and yelled, "Don't (expletive) touch me."

There were about 15 special needs students in the cafeteria at the time who became upset over the incident and had to be removed by school officials, the SRO said.

The SRO grabbed the student's wrist again and advised him not to resist arrest, and the student then punched the SRO in the neck and right shoulder, according to the report. The SRO pulled the student to the ground to arrest him and the student tried to punch him again but missed.

The student was soon placed in handcuffs and did not stop resisting until that moment. He was charged with resisting arrest with violence, which is a felony, and disrupting or interfering with school administration.

This story was originally published November 12, 2015 at 10:40 AM with the headline "King Middle School student charged with assaulting deputy during arrest."