Allen Brown is an 18-year-old student at Matanzas High School. Early this morning, before the first bell at 8 a.m., during breakfast at the cafeteria, Brown reportedly walked into the cafeteria, took off his shirt, then stepped toward a student in the northeast corner of the cafeteria and, “with a closed fist,” began punching the student, according to a police report.
School Resource Deputy John Landi, who has been an SRD before but was recently assigned to Matanzas, was in the cafeteria at the time when Assistant Principal Kara Minn told him of Brown walking in shirtless.
As Brown began punching the student, Landi and Bob Sawyer, the dean of students at Matanzas, ran toward the fight, according to the police report. The deputy pushed the student being allegedly pummeled away from Brown “while giving loud verbal commands to break it up,” the deputy wrote in the report.
The student Brown was allegedly punching is 15.
“I attempted to secure Mr. Brown and he began resisting by pulling his hands away and not following my orders,” Landi writes in the report. “At that time, Mr. Brown turned around and struck me with a closed fist on the right side of my head twice. I pushed Mr. Brown back and began to slip on the floor. At that time Mr. Brown advanced toward me with both hand[s] in the boxer’s stance. While I was falling on the floor I deployed my department issued ECD X-26,” Landi writes, citing the Taser’s serial number, “discharging one cartridge with both probes making contact on the left torso of Mr. Brown. Mr. Brown fell to the ground where he was secured in handcuffs.”
Paramedics were called to the school, removing the prongs from Brown and checking his vitals. The deputy contacted Brown’s parents, notifying them of the incident. Brown was taken to Florida Hospital Flagler for medical clearance, then booked at the Flagler County jail.
“All parties involved sustained minor injuries and were treated at the scene by Flagler County Medical and Rescue personnel and released,” a sheriff’s news release states.
Brown is being charged with Battery, Battery on a Law Enforcement Officer and Disruption of a School Function.
It is the first case of a Taser being used on a student in Flagler County schools since a special education student was Tasered at Flagler Palm Coast High School in 2007, in an incident then-Superintendent Bill Delbrugge termed regrettable. Tasers were subsequently removed from deputies’ possession. But Tasers were reinstated in 2011 after an incident at Matanzas High School in which a student head-butted an SRD, injuring him.
In September 2011, School Superintendent Janet Valentine urged the school board to enable school deputies to be armed with Tasers again. The board voted 4-1 that October to follow Valentine’s recommendation.
FL informed voter says
Taking his shirt off prior to the fight shows pre-meditation. This aggression was obviously planned, and not a mutual spontaneous kind of school fight. There is a new attitude in the way schools handle this type of behavior, and hopefully this aggressor will be dealt with harshly. I’m glad Deputy Landi quickly resolved the situation with minor injuries before it got too out of control. Very appropriate how this incident occurred the same day an article about closing the alternative school was published. Things like this are reasons why these kids don’t belong in school if they act this violent. Deputy Landi and the other school official were there to stop the fight, and instead, were also the victims of an out of control student.
fla native says
When they took discipline out of the classroom 30 years ago this is the result.
Ron Hubbard says
Tasers were developed to subdue insane or out of control lethally dangerous perps as this student. This was a good call to use the Taser.
Bill says
Slaughter High……That’s Spanish for Matanza ! Who names their high school after a massacre ?
confidential says
Totally justified reason to use the taser this time. I am sorry that minor injuries were inflicted. Hope the injured will recover well.
Brings to my mind not long ago somewhere in the US, a student punch to a school official, I think was a socker couch, caused his death.
Dave says
Six month’s to a year in jail might help that young man out before he ends up in bigger trouble and ends up living his life in a prison.
Jack Howell says
Good call on deploying the taser! This prevented more serious harm to Brown and the deputy. Now, lets see the pundits cry that tasers should not be allowed in our schools.
AceDeadEyeJohnson says
Job well done deputy…….threat neutralized….case closed!!!!!!
Seminole Pride says
This guy spent his whole life going to school, and he was only a couple weeks from graduation, and then he does a senseless thing like this. What a way to screw up your life. Now he probably will not graduate.
IMO says
My neighbor’s son tells me this fight was over an ex girlfriend. Apparently jealousy go the better of this young man.
But 6 months or a year in jail? How about a long talk with his Dad or Pastor about jealousy. Anger management classes if necessary and he sincerely apologizes to the Police Officer and Dean.
Then whatever Judge handles his case advises if he goes back and gets his high school diploma, stays out of trouble for a year and his arrest record will be sealed so he won’t have to start life with an arrest record.
But a criminal record over a fight about losing a girlfriend? The only thing Alan needs to learn here is that there is more than one fish in the sea and when a Police Officer says “Stop” you “Stop” because they are authorized by law to hit you back.
Was it worth it Alan? You ended up in handcuffs. You are 18 now and need to learn that woman very often change their minds. That is their prerogative.
Anonymous says
Graduate! I hope he does some prison time, these kids are out of control !
Magicone says
Aren’t we glad that three wasn’t an gun carrying deputy in the situation? We would be attending a funeral or 2. there is no need for guns in schools!!!!
Anonymous says
He can take anger management classes in jail. You don’t treat battery on a law enforcement officer with kid gloves. They have enough on their plate already trying to keep kids safe from drugs and violence that this kind of nonsense should not be tolerated.
Ralph Belcher says
There has been no apology toward the student victim to this point.
I’d stongly advocate a zero tolerance policy on fighting in school if there isn’t one already and a far stricter intolerance for this student perp slugging a LEO.
IMO says
Could you please clarify your remarks.
Are you saying that the Flagler County Sheriff or the Board of Education does not allow the Deputies assigned to the schools to carry their firearms?
I was under the impression that one of the reasons for this small tax increase was to provide a full duty Police Officer to each school.
Each day I read in the news media that the schools in conjunction with the local police have developed “School Lockdown Procedures” so if an armed criminal attempting to escape from a crime attempts to flee across school property or take refuge in a school building he would be met by an fully armed police officer.
Could someone please clarify if the Deputies assigned to the schools are fully armed?
IMO says
Anger Management Class in a prison? You have got to be kidding me. The only thing prisoners learn in our prisons is how to be better criminals.
Maybe we should wait until the Court system and a Judge have the full facts in front of them as to who this young man is and what his previous record or lack of a previous record is before he is sent to jail.
If we are going to start sending every teenage boy who gets into a fight over a girlfriend to jail we are going to need a lot more jails.
I fully understand he resisted the Officer. I am sure the Judge has many other alternative punishments at his/her disposal for a first time offender if that is what we have here.
D. F. A. says
Magicone, the Deputy was carrying a gun. He is a fully trained Deputy with FCSO. He handled it with the least amount of force necessary. How about that, they do know what they are doing (Deputies).
LawAbidingCitizen says
Hey imo
Did you not read the part where the deputy was breaking up the fight, and then the delinquent turned and started to punch the deputy. That shows no reguard for law. And you want him to give an apology and a good talking to by his father. In a couple years when this kid kills somebody, what are you going to say, put him in “time out”… This kid needs to be dealt with legally.
w.ryan says
Anger, jealousy, whatever the cause we don’t know. Some of you forgot how it was when you were teens and in High School. Today, we have turned so hard. What an unforgiving self-righteous society. Deputy I hope you’re alright. I hope the best for everyone involved in this encounter and most of all I hope Allen recovers from his anger and learn from this experience.
spider says
Taking his shirt off isn’t pre meditation. Its harder to grab someone in a fight if they aren’t wearing a shirt
Anonymous....Really??? says
It would be best to know more than just what you read before you judge. I have taught Allen in the past and have gotten to know the young man. Did he make a terrible decision, yes. Did he deserve to be tased, yes. Should he face consequences, yes. Prison though, no. Allen is a polite, well mannered young man who had a terrible moment and made an even worse decision. As a first time offender i don’t think that jail time serves a purpose here. Its easy to read the specifics of this article and claim that the kids are out of control, but unless you know more than what you read then you shouldn’t judge. It’s impossible to get rid of fights in high schools, especially when young males get into it over females. Allens biggest mistake was acting out towards the officer, who is 100% correct how he reacted, while in the middle of a fight over a young lady. Allen should be repremanded but his life should not be ruined as an 18 year old young man who had one bad moment. Were he a violent past offender then fine, he deserves all he gets. I just hope this is enough to scare Allen straight and he has a second chance to lead a productive life. We have all made mistakes in our lives, and i’m sure we had a “close call” that helped to put things into perspective. Lets hope this is Allens moment because he’s at a crossroad now where he can learn from this horrible mistake and straighten out or go down a bad path and face serious consequences, which would then be justified. But no graduation and jail time, that is over the top in this case.
D. F. A. says
Okay, so he took it off knowing it would be harder to grab him in a fight. Therefore he entered the room knowing and expecting to fight. PREMEDITATION!
If he held on to it, maybe but as he entered, he threw it to the side so his hands were empty. PREMEDITATION!
Eileen says
Did he HAVE to have the fight AT SCHOOL? Not smart. Keep the drama for your momma Allen. Some of us are just trying to get an education and some just want to work to make a living.
FL informed voter says
Thanks for proving my point for me.
Anonymous says
Yes, they are armed, with guns. I am a student in school, and they have visible firearms on their hip.
Gary says
Not all deputies know what they are doing.