Richland 1 student charged in on-campus assault that hospitalized teacher
A Richland 1 high school student was arrested Thursday after assaulting a teacher on campus, police said.
A “verbal exchange” between a teacher and a 16-year-old student at C.A. Johnson High School in Columbia escalated into a “physical altercation” that put the teacher in the hospital, the district’s spokeswoman said in a statement.
No weapons were involved and the male teacher did not suffer any serious injuries, Columbia police said. He was treated and released Thursday, Richland 1 spokeswoman Karen York said.
The student was charged with second-degree assault and battery and must appear in family court at a later date, Columbia police said.
Columbia police spokeswoman Jennifer Timmons said she couldn’t share any information about what sparked the alleged assault due to the ongoing criminal investigation.
Timmons said C.A. Johnson’s school resource officer did not witness the incident, but spoke with multiple people who did and reviewed video surveillance footage in an attempt to understand what happened.
“We consulted with a juvenile solicitor based on information we received at the time,” she said. “Combined with witness information and surveillance video, the student was charged.”
The incident remains under investigation by school and district administrators, as well as the Columbia Police Department.