Suspects Identified, Charges Pending in Parkway Academy School Bus Assault 5-1-2014
Incident #: 50-14-10616 Date/Time: Tuesday, April 29, 2014 at 3:00PM
Location: Parkway Academy School Bus
Narrative: The Dover Police Department has identified the suspects in an assault captured on video that occurred on a Parkway Academy school bus on Tuesday afternoon. The video, which quickly went viral on social media sites, depicts four male juveniles assaulting a single 15-year-old male juvenile while traveling on a school bus. The juvenile victim did not suffer any serious injuries as a result of the assault. The Dover Police Department with the cooperation of the Parkway Academy was able to positively identify the suspects involved in the assault as well as the person who recorded the video. Each suspect will be charged with 3rd degree assault and 3rd degree conspiracy.
- Brandon Horton of Milford (Age: 16) (Arrested 4-30-14)
- Tyrek Lowther of Milford (Age: 15)
- Donald Pierre of Milford (Age: 17)
- Tracy Matthews of Magnolia (Age: 17)
- Brenden Harmon of Frederica (Age: 15) (Recorded the Video)
The Dover Police Department will not release photos or addresses of the suspects because they are juveniles.
Parkway Academy- Central issued a statement about the incident on Thursday afternoon:
“Parkway Academy-Central is deeply saddened and concerned by the recent incident that took place on Tuesday involving an act of violence by some of our students on one of our school buses. We have identified the students involved, have been in communication with all families, and have been working closely with both Dover police and local school districts to process appropriate disciplinary action and ensure that all of our students are safe. Currently, the school bus driver has been placed on administrative leave pending results of the investigation into this incident. As the highest performing alternative school in Delaware, Parkway Central has a proven track record of helping to successfully transform hundreds of at-risk youth to make better, more positive decisions.This includes working with a small student to staff ratio, strong disciplinary and restorative practices and evidenced-based counseling for all students. Our dedicated staff are committed to teaching, modeling, and holding youth accountable for their actions. The safety of our students is our absolute priority in addition to transforming their lives.
Original Release: While monitoring social media activity, the Dover Police Department discovered an extremely disturbing video of a brutal assault on a juvenile while on a school bus, traveling home from the Central Parkway Academy in Dover. At this time, the department has launched an extensive investigation into the incident and will utilize any resources needed to hold the suspects responsible. WE WILL NOT BE RELEASING THE VIDEO OF THIS INCIDENT despite it being shared across social media outlets. If you have any information or can identify the students involved in the incident, please contact 302-736-7111 or through the contact section of our website: http://www.doverpolice.org
A screen grab from the video is shown here: