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Parents attack school resource deputy after son charged with battery, Florida cops say

A couple upset over their son being charged with battery at school is now facing the same charge, after they attacked a resource officer in the school’s hallway, according to Florida investigators.
A couple upset over their son being charged with battery at school is now facing the same charge, after they attacked a resource officer in the school’s hallway, according to Florida investigators. Street View image from April 2018. © 2024 Google

A couple upset over their son being charged with battery at school is facing similar charges after they joined forces to attack a campus resource deputy, according to investigators.

The hallway brawl occurred Tuesday, Nov. 19, at Deltona Middle School, as the couple’s son looked on, the Volusia Sheriff’s Office reported in a news release. Deltona is about a 30-mile drive northeast from Orlando.

“The couple came to the school to protest their son’s battery charge for shoving a girl at school the day prior. When (the father) didn’t like the outcome of the meeting, he became irate, started screaming at the deputy and was asked to leave,” the sheriff’s office reported.

“In the hallway, (the mom) pushed the deputy against a wall; then (the dad) punched the deputy in the head, knocked her to the ground, and ripped her Taser from her hand. The deputy was able to stand up, draw her firearm, command (the dad) to drop the Taser and take him into custody.”

The parents were charged with “battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting with violence, disruption of school function, and trespassing on school campus,” the sheriff’s office said.

The boy’s father faces an additional charge of armed robbery and grand theft for grabbing the Taser, officials said.

“A hate crime enhancement was added to some of (his) charges due to a derogatory slur he called the deputy just prior to attacking her,” the sheriff’s office said. “The couple’s son was present for the entire incident.”

The deputy was taken to a hospital for treatment of concussion symptoms, officials said. Details of her condition were not released.

Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood lauded the deputy for remaining calm during “a violent attack” that could have turned deadly.

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This story was originally published November 20, 2024 at 8:13 AM with the headline "Parents attack school resource deputy after son charged with battery, Florida cops say."

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Mark Price
The Charlotte Observer
Mark Price is a state reporter for The Charlotte Observer and McClatchy News outlets in North Carolina. He joined the network of newspapers in 1991 at The Charlotte Observer, covering beats including schools, crime, immigration, LGBTQ issues, homelessness and nonprofits. He graduated from the University of Memphis with majors in journalism and art history, and a minor in geology. 
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