Posted on 11/09/2004 12:36:59 PM PST by Ginifer
JUNCTION CITY, Ore. (AP) — Two teenagers recorded their beating of a Junction City High School student, set it to music, and distributed the DVD in school, the authorities said.
One of the alleged assailants, a 17-year-old boy, has been charged with assault, and Police Chief Ken Hancock has vowed to "hold people accountable."
The footage shows one boy punching the student in the face and the other boy chasing him down, punching him in the head and body, and slamming his head into a car window as a crowd watched, police officer Corey Mertz said.
A soundtrack of rap music with lyrics about bloody knuckles and fighting accompanies the images, and it appears the students took turns recording each other beating the boy, passing the camera back and forth, police said.
Hancock said he is worried that the suspects attacked the boy for the purpose of making the video. Investigators also wonder whether the crowd of spectators had been forewarned of the assault.
"I intend to find out why the fight was filmed and set to music and distributed," Hancock said. "We want to know whether this was a pre-planned event or a spontaneous thing taking place."
The fight happened after a volleyball game at the high school on Oct. 21. An adult called police but the fight ended before an officer arrived, and one of the suspects fled.
The officer interviewed witnesses and the remaining suspect but made no immediate arrests. The victim, whom police believe to be a random target, required medical treatment for his injuries.
As days went by, Mertz, the city's school resource officer, heard rumors that the fight had been recorded and DVDs were being sold at school.
"I put the word out to students that I would like a copy of the tape," Mertz said. "Within five minutes a student came running back out of breath."
Mertz and the vice principal soon identified a student whose backpack contained a number of homemade DVDs containing the footage. Students said the boy was trying to sell the recording, but police have not confirmed that, he said.
Police and school officials said they believe the fight was an isolated incident and not part of a larger trend in the area. The same boys had recently produced a skateboarding video that Mertz said was well-done and looked professional.
I cannot not believe it sometimes when I read these things... Sure I fought as a kid, but it was self-defense when I did... kids these days just don't seem to understand that there are consequnces for their actions like this...
This makes me so mad, these people need to be tried as adults and sent away to prison for a really long time. You want to act like a savage criminal then join them in jail, enjoy. I hope they get EVERYONE connected with this video too, anyone who supported making/distributing the content of it knowing what it contained. Savage monsters. Throw the book at them and send them away as long as possible.
"Junction City, Junction City - You can get off now, Billy"
Two words: prison time.
I seriously think they should make those involved strip down to their underwear and stand on a stage on the football field of their school. There they will be caned til they bleed.
At some point, talk and the threat of jail time does nothing.
You know what else, I'm really wondering what is wrong with the "crowd of spectators", that is almost as disturbing as the savage monsters beating the heck out of this guy over and over. They watch a beating like they watch MTV. Something is really wrong with these people, I think it is a warning of worse to come. If people can watch this idly as if it was simply entertainment, they will tolerate and encourage all kinds of savagery.
They don't have consciences. It's frightening.
I suppose JCHS is a public High School.
And, being a public high school, it is not allowed to teach values to the kids within its walls.
Such a good thing that no one wants to impose his or her moral values on the kids of Junction City High School.
(/sarcasm)
I like the Idea, but as one of the previous poster put it others would rather watch as if they have no involvement... and I am not sure that action would draw the desired response.. in this day and age it is more likely to draw a lawsuit unfortunatly.
Look, people... this is art. The director of this short film was making a statement about our society... about the warlike, barbaric nature of men like George W. Bush. The filmmaker was expressing his First Amendment right to Free Speech. It was a protest film, and the ACLU is going to be standing right beside him in court, fighting for his freedom.
Just because someone got the crap kicked out of him is no reason to suppress Free Speech. Art must live, and our society -- our entire way of life -- depends upon art and the freedom to make courageous and ground-breaking art.
And the hard truth is, sometimes innocent people need to have the crap kicked out of them, just for the sake of art.
</sarcasm>
As a mom....with a gun....well, let's just say, I'm glad this never happened to my kids.
What a shock.
That's crap. Kids of all colors do this same kind of thing all across the country.
quick web search shows it to be a mostly white little town NW of oh-so politically correct Eugene.
Wow. High school boys got in a fight.
Who could have guessed that would ever happen?
I would execute the two boys, violent murders, wicked hearts, they are of no use
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