Video reveals Oklahoma nonbinary teen after assault in class toilet, the day earlier than their demise

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Police on Friday launched video of the moments earlier than and after a combat in an Oklahoma highschool toilet the place the mom of a nonbinary scholar says the 16-year-old was knocked to the ground, and in a 911 name their mom made the subsequent day she expressed concern a couple of head harm.

The teenager died a short time later.

Sue Benedict, the mom of Nex Benedict, informed a 911 operator that Nex had hit their head on the lavatory ground when the scholars who beat them up “knocked” them to the bottom.

Benedict mentioned through the Feb. 8 name made about 1 p.m. that the teenager’s eyes have been rolling again, their respiration was shallow and their palms have been curled, in keeping with the audio launched by police within the Tulsa suburb of Owasso.

She mentioned Nex had complained of a headache, and she or he had taken the teenager to the hospital after the altercation the day earlier than.

“I hope this ain’t from her head. They have been presupposed to have checked her out good,” mentioned Benedict, who remained calm through the name and mentioned she had been to nursing college. Sue Benedict mentioned in a press release on a GoFundMe page set as much as assist cowl funeral bills that the household was nonetheless studying to make use of the teenager’s most well-liked identify and pronouns.

Paramedics responding to the household’s home carried out CPR and rushed Nex to the hospital, the place Nex later died.

The video launched by police from the highschool on Feb. 7 reveals college students strolling into after which out a WC after stacking chairs on high of tables in a cafeteria. Six college students are seen coming into the lavatory earlier than Nex, who stops at a water fountain after which enters the lavatory together with two different college students. A school member is then seen going into the lavatory, and the scholars stroll out.

There isn’t a indication from the footage, which solely reveals the lavatory door and a part of the cafeteria, of what occurred within the toilet.

One other video reveals Nex being walked out of the varsity by a safety officer and being picked up by a guardian.

In audio of the decision Benedict made to police on Feb. 7 at about 3:30 p.m. from the hospital, she says Nex was “jumped” within the toilet, and she or he mentioned she needed an officer to come back so she might file costs.

However in keeping with a police search warrant that was signed the day after Benedict’s demise, she informed the responding officers that she did not wish to file costs at the moment. She as an alternative requested police to talk to highschool officers about points on campus amongst college students.

Benedict told The Independent later that the teenager had suffered bruises throughout their face and eyes within the combat.

The college district has mentioned the scholars have been within the restroom for lower than two minutes earlier than the combat was damaged up by different college students and a workers member. Police and college officers haven’t mentioned what provoked the combat.

The household, via their lawyer, declined to remark Friday on the search warrant. The lawyer didn’t instantly supply any touch upon behalf of the household on the video and audio launched. Earlier this week, they mentioned they’ve launched their very own impartial investigation into what occurred.

Vigils are deliberate over the weekend in Oklahoma for the teenager.

The search warrant, which was signed the day after Benedict’s demise, additionally reveals investigators took 137 photos on the college, together with contained in the lady’s toilet the place the combat occurred. They moreover collected two swabs of stains from the lavatory and retrieved information and paperwork of the scholars concerned within the altercation.

Whereas the two-week-old warrant states that police have been looking for proof in a felony homicide, the division has since mentioned Benedict’s demise was not a results of accidents suffered within the combat, primarily based on the preliminary outcomes of the post-mortem.

The police division, which didn’t reply to a number of messages despatched Friday, has mentioned it received’t remark additional on the teenager’s reason for demise till toxicology and different post-mortem outcomes are accomplished.

Owasso college officers, in the meantime, mentioned Friday that they requested police get hold of the courtroom order to go looking the varsity due to state and federal privateness legal guidelines relating to the discharge of confidential scholar information.

“We’re persevering with to cooperate with the Owasso Police Division’s ongoing investigation,” Jordan Korphage, a college district spokesperson, wrote in an e mail.

Tulsa County District Lawyer Steve Kunzweiler, whose workplace isn’t presently concerned within the police investigation, known as the demise a tragedy however cautioned folks towards being “swayed by sentiments fueled by the eagerness of feelings which can be misinformed.”

“A household in our neighborhood is grieving and we empathize with their sorrow throughout this tough time,” he wrote in an e mail Friday. “Whereas a lot has been speculated about this baby’s demise in social media, we are going to keep the integrity of regulation enforcement’s investigation, and permit them to do their job.”

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Marcelo reported from New York. Related Press author Jamie Stengle additionally contributed to this report from Dallas.