Posted on 11/10/2004 6:14:18 AM PST by brbethke
BY TAMMY J. OSEID
Pioneer Press
Three zoo school students face charges for using a bat to beat another student who taunted them about being John Kerry supporters days after the contentious election.
The 17-year-old Apple Valley victim was assaulted Thursday in a Minnesota Zoo parking lot near Apple Valley's School of Environmental Studies, better known as the zoo school. Chad McKay, also 17, stood over the victim attempting to protect him.
"It's a good thing to see young people interested and excited about politics," said Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom. "It's obviously very disturbing to see this kind of violence over it."
The argument began earlier in the day Thursday with a discussion about candidates the minors had supported for president, Backstrom said. The two victims supported President Bush.
"We were sitting in the computer room at school, and there was kind of a political debate," said Chad McKay of Arden Hills. "Some people said only gay people vote for Bush." Chad said the victim said "only gay people would vote for Kerry because he supports gay marriage."
Backstrom said the victims then "called the other guys some names."
Chad said later in the afternoon when he and the victim were walking to their cars they heard their three senior classmates yelling at them, according to the police report.
Chad got to his car, but the three 17-year-olds attacked the victim, he said, hitting him in face, including with a baseball bat and kicking him. One boy had a padlock wrapped around his finger, Chad said.
"I got out of the car, basically got on top of (the victim) telling them to get away," he said.
The suspects ran to the car and fled by the time Apple Valley police arrived at 2:20 p.m.
The victim, a senior, was treated for cuts and bruises at a medical clinic and released. "He got pretty messed up," Chad said.
The juvenile with the bat was charged with second-degree assault, a felony. Another was charged with misdemeanor fifth-degree assault for fighting and a third with misdemeanor disorderly conduct. "He was a bystander who jumped into the fight," said Monica Jensen, spokeswoman for the Dakota County attorney's office.
All three will appear in court on the charges within three weeks.
It's believed to be the only election-related beating in Dakota County.
Any assault is also unusual at the 400-student magnet school at the Minnesota Zoo for students interested in the specialized science and environmental programs, principal Dan Bodette said. Juniors and seniors from the district's four high schools apply for spots at the magnet school, which offers classes in marine biology, ornithology, eco-architecture and indigenous philosophy.
Minnesota Zoo zookeepers teach some classes, and many classes use the zoo grounds for field research.
And I'm sure they'll be allowed to vote as well.
Zoo schooled Dems end up in cage
A bunch of cowards. Three on one.
Carol Simpson would be proud.
Sounds like the gays didn't rate very highly at all in this debate.
AFSCME most likely...
I wonder if that shows a commonality
What Democrat voters and Liberal voters are teaching their children today by example, I consider no different than the way that Palestinian parents are teaching their children. Intolerance, hatred and abuse.
The Left needs to look very closely in a mirror, very soon.
I'm not sure if this is political or a bunch of guys just fighting to be fighting. The topic seems to be more who is "gay" rathet than who won IMO. It would be interesting to know if any of these kids have got into clashes with each other before. No one should get "beat up" but it seems both sides kept it going.
Life in prison with no parole or capital punishment ?
Tough choice
Okay, I'll be liberal. Confiscation of citizenship, large restitution to be paid by perps, their family, or the Democrat Party to the victim, and deportation or perps to terrorist country of his choice.
Some teachers at our local intermediate school (4-5th grades)were visibly upset and let the kids know it when the school mock elections showed Bush won after students voted.
My Greatkid in 7th grade said her teacher spoke almost every day running up to Nov 2 about how the country needs Kerry. Haven't gotten the report on what was said in class Nov 3rd!
Minnesota bump
no mention of their status in the school. They should be expelled.
"Attempted murder" comes to mind.
Typical of the liberal mentality, they can't win in a debate of words so they take up weapons against the unarmed. What pussies!
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