Teenager will be charged as an adult after slapping woman teacher twice across ... trends now
A teen who allegedly attacked two of his school teachers is being charged as an adult, prosecutors confirmed - after one of the suspected strikes went viral.
Aquavis Hickman, a 17-year-old student at Parkland High School in North Carolina, was indicted on the assault and kidnapping charges last week, Forsyth County District Attorneys said.
He is being charged as an adult in the two separate attacks, one of which was filmed.
In the first, un-filmed incident, he allegedly attacked a male teacher at the school on February, and in their statement, prosecutors said he did not act alone.
Then, last month, officials claimed the teen walked up to a female teacher and smacked her twice, with footage of the alleged attack later circulating on social media. It has yet to be released by cops.
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A teen at Parkland High School in North Carolina who allegedly attacked two of his school teachers is being charged as an adult, prosecutors confirmed Thursday - after one of the suspected strikes went viral (seen here_
Aquavis Hickman, a 17-year-old student at Parkland High School in North Carolina, was indicted on the assault and kidnapping charges last week, Forsyth County District Attorneys said - for the April 15 incident above and another that allegedly occurred on February 1
'That video went viral nationwide and it put us on the map in a negative manner,' Winston-Salem Police Chief William Penn told Fox affiliate WGHP-TV News during a joint press conference following Hickman's arrest Thursday.
'I am so glad today that the rest of the nation will also hear that we do not tolerate that in Winston-Salem and Forsyth County.'
Also in attendance were Forsyth County District Attorney Jim O'Neill and Forsyth County Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough, at a meeting intended to serve as the first step in taking a stand against violence against educators, organizers said.
'Our message to our community is simple,' O'Neill told reporters around a crowded podium.
'We stand with the teachers. We will fight to protect those teachers. And if you lay a hand on a teacher and assault a teacher, you can expect that the punishment will be swift and severe. Promise made. Promise kept.'
As promised, the case against Hickman was transferred from juvenile to Superior Court last week, where a grand jury elected to indict him.
The decision comes as officials like O'Neill said Hickman could avoid an adult criminal case due to the charges only amounting to a misdemeanor.
That was before Hickman was hit with felony second-degree kidnapping charges for the April incident, for 'unlawfully confining and restraining [the female victim] without her consent for the purpose of terrorizing her', O'Neill revealed Friday.
Forsyth County District Attorney Jim O'Neill held a joint press conference following Hickman's arrest Thursday
Also in attendance were Forsyth County Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough and Winston-Salem Police Chief William Penn, who said the video going viral was was 'put us on the map' to the alleged incidents
On April 15, the teen walked up to a female teacher and smacked her twice, the officials on Thursday claimed, citing with above footage that later circulated on social media
The footage - in which students are heard giggling in the background as the student stalks back to his seat while taunting his victim - has yet to be released by cops. 'Ain't nobody comin', the suspect is heard saying after seemingly slapping the unnamed victim
He further revealed how Hickman - who is seen slapping the middle-aged teacher in the face while she is sat at her desk - was also indicted on that
