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One Teen Arrested, One Wanted In Connection With Tate High Battery
December 5, 2019
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office has made one arrest and is looking for another teen in connection with the battery of a student Wednesday at Tate High School.
Lester Cheatham, 17, was arrested on a charge of felony battery Thursday afternoon. The ECSO is looking for 16-year old Ya’Marcus Gross on an outstanding warrant for felony battery.
Videos taken by students show the altercation. The victim falls to the ground after being punched in the face. He can be then be seen on the ground being punched and kicked by at least two other students.
The student was released from the hospital and is now recovering at home, Amber Southard, spokesperson for the ECSO, told NorthEscambia.com Thursday. She said social media rumors that the student died or lost his sight are simply not true.
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Gross is asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or Gulf Coast Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
NorthEscambia.com images.
Comments
64 Responses to “One Teen Arrested, One Wanted In Connection With Tate High Battery”
ouch
Jim, I agree. It should be handled the same way for all students. The district is afraid they will have to go to to toe with someone playing the race card, and not just at Tate. No one wants to rock the boat, so students who aren’t behavior problems and just want to get an education are impacted.
Schools are expected to deal with more and more of this kind of behavior. Teachers are often expected to take on responsibility that belongs to parents. Most parents would not tolerate their children openly defying to follow directions or cursing at them. However, this happens routinely in our schools. Suspensions are a thing of the past except for a very few infractions. I know the district’s stance is that keeping kids at school, in in school suspension or such, but how about putting the burden back on parents.
I pulled my two children from Tate and placed at Pine Forest. Best move I made. One son was bullied, among other things. The atmosphere was not conducive to learning. Drugs are rampant in the school. My children were were not thriving. They are doing well at PFHS now.
@Tate Grad…you are so right. I have a grandson that was bullied and because of who the bullies were nothing was done. It was at a different school but it’s the same story all over. If your parents are on the board, a teacher, friend of staff, or bullies are in sports, etc. then it doesn’t stop. Sorry to hear you didn’t matter to our school system.
This is my last year at Tate and I can tell you that there has been many many many fights like this at the school and no one does anything about! I have seen kids walk out of fights with broken noses and much worse and the staff just look the other way acting like it didn’t happen!
Tate’s Chancing, where are the PARENTS? Consider the student/school personnel ratio and it’s not difficult to see how these things can occur. Add to that the mix that very few students are suspended anymore, even for what used to be considered serious infractions. Then there’s the influence of social media, too. Schools were not intended to take the place of parents, but more and more responsibility is being placed on them. If I still had kids in school, I’d be at every school board meeting. It truly is the only way to change things.
A person routinely done this way and no one helps is a person who will turn to bad things to even the field.
And how could that be a surprise.
I spent two years of high school getting bullied there. After multiple complains nothing was ever resolved. The bullies remained on their sports teams, in their clubs, and with no repercussions. I luckily made it out but my life was a living hell. I STILL live with problems from this. Even after moving away and growing up. Tate’s no bullying policy is nonexistent and a lie. Something needs to be done before this happens to more children.
I think one of the most disturbing thing I get out of reading all of this is the statements saying ” all other schools are the same way” and you forcefully state that as if its normal.
I am sorry for your acceptance of this.
When something abnormal is going on in a setting as school, you correct it.
If you dont you accept it as normal and then justify the beating of this child as normal.
I graduated from Tate in 1965
Let me tell you, there was a whole different culture back then..respect all around for everyone..I mean everyone was mandatory, and the consequences if not were just and swift.
In todays society as in school that is lost on every level
Never think issues are not hidden at school..including Tate
The age of political correctness has dominated just punishment not only concerning the deeds of the child but also of the faculty ..including all the way up the chain to the school board.
If you wanted everything to be different , it would be different…if you like it the way it is…keep saying all the other schools are the same and bury your head in the sand.
Not impressed with Mr. Shackle or the deans that are acting like its no big deal.
They can mouth the words they care but this issue is not isolated .
But we dont want to talk about that do we.
No we dont!
I am a student at Tate high school it’s my ninth grade year and I’m a female at Tate and so far my high school journey has been Tate try’s to hide the truth they try and make themselves look good but behind those gates it is all a lie there has been maybe around 7 fight this year since I started high school and the fight happened right in front /near the deans office there should’ve been someone there to protect this boy and as a student at Tate I’m disgusted at the people there who do things like this they are part of the reason why our school is so messed up but that’s not all it’s also the principle and the deans they try to hide things those two boys harassed the boy and he was just standing there with his head down trying not to get jumped by all of those boys mr.shackle the principle of Tate said it is his faults for the fights and it really is because if he was a better principle he would have put more resource officers out there and protect us . In my personal opinion I feel like Tate only cares about money and keeping the truth away from public so the school will not be discriminated or be a bad school and it honestly is since I have been at Tate there are racist sexiest homophobic people even the other day a black girl came up to me and said “stupid white cracker bitch “ and also most of the time some people don’t see that’s as racist but it is this school is awful and something needs to happen before things get worse
This is heart breaking to see . Honestly I personally think Tate High school is changing. Like where are teachers ? Where are deans ? And most of all where are The resource officers they should be monitoring outside the school , outside Buy a hallway, cafeteria’s, you know things like that and you just see this and it’s just sad . I’m glad they’re all locked up they got what they deserved . That kid didn’t deserve anything like that especially being stopped on the head constantly .
(2 Timothy 3:1 KJV) This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
(2 Timothy 3:2 KJV) For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
(2 Timothy 3:3 KJV) Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
(2 Timothy 3:4 KJV) Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
(2 Timothy 3:5 KJV) Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
(2 Timothy 3:6 KJV) For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
(2 Timothy 3:7 KJV) Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Yes, it was planned!!! That’s why they were video taping before it happened. The person video taping should be charged as well. They could have told someone this was going to happen instead of video taping it!!!
If this was my son or daughter nothing could stop the wrath of this mother! SHAME on the parents that’s raised these 2 ignorant wannabe thugs! Shame on Tate High School for allowing students like this on campus! Shame on the students that stood by and did nothing to break this up but videotaped it to share on social media! I hope they both sit in jail and pay for what they’ve done. Simply disgusting.
Even if the boy who was beaten was talking crap before the fight started that is NEVER any reason for someone to put their hands on anyone! If someone can’t take some stupid talk without going to these lengths then they are indeed cowards. In the video the boy had has hands on his book bag straps and was stepping backwards obviously not wanting to fight. People will always spout off at the mouth. But putting your hands on someone never ends well and is harder to stop yourself once you start. The boy was down after the first punch was thrown, that should have been the end. Everything after that was completely malicious and of ill intent.
In yesterday’s article, spokesperson Amy Southard said the child had minor injuries, today she says child has been released from hospital and recovering at home. Wonder if school officials called ambulance to take him to hospital or did his foster parents have to take him? Sure am glad they decided to arrest the 2 boys that did this. Hope the young man recovers but I’m sure he will have nightmares because of what happened.
Pictures say everything.
School Grades will not Save a student’s life or the stability of a school district. School Violence is on a rapid rise because referrals are being deleted and consequences are becoming non-existent. Threats of Suicide are alarming because bullying is rampant in K-12. Threats of Violence are being mishandled and teachers and staff are being attacked physically and mentally everyday with no acknowledgement or support from leadership. WAKE UP ESCAMBIA. WE ARE IN A CRISIS. Quit blaming it on the legislators. We are beginning to lose our future. Teachers are walking out. Children are walking out. Blaming the death of Public Education on the legislature is a coward’s way out. For the sake of our children, do the right thing NOW before we are attending funerals due to school violence. Our Teachers, Our Students, Our Support Staff no longer feel SAFE in the schools of ESCAMBUA COUNTY..
@ IfYouOnlyKnew…wish we were good with the narratives as you…we could bore the perpetrators to death with those narratives and make them conform.
Good night
@Wayne,
You are, of course, entitled to your opinion. I teach at a local high school, (not Tate) and I can assure you that Citizen is spot on. I could not have written a more cogent, descriptive post myself.
Well done Citizen!
@Citizen – you hit the nail on the head!
@Wayne
You are completely missing my point. I’m not defending the animals who assaulted this student whatsoever. I’m simply saying that Tate isn’t the problem here; no one is “sweeping” anything under the rug. If you were here on campus regularly NOWADAYS you would know that the faculty, staff and admin of the school do not find this type of brutal assault or similar behavior acceptable and do not want these type of troublemakers here. Sadly, its just like @Citizen said — this is all tied into a bunch of suits at the state levels making laws in regards to how schools are graded. Additionally, yes, there are fights, drugs, etc., at Tate, which is really awful, but compared to other high schools in the district Tate is a much safer and better environment. If admin were free to do as they wish, the troublemakers on campus would be long gone. They do as much as they are allowed to by the district and state. Also, if parents took care of their responsibilities at home, you wouldn’t see as much of this behavior on school campuses.
Have a great day!
Y’all are so ignorant this boy threatened to shoot him dead at school. If you think that just bc this boy had a seizure he’s the victim think again this boy is known for causing fights. And y’all saying they scared for 2 on 1 there is no such thing as a fair fight if you say you are going to kill someone you should be able to back it up.
I don’t read anything in the article that says they jumped him because of his race but the violence seems to be inflamed in a manner not consistent with stepping on
Someone’s shoe at a bus stop so something was fueling it…
BUT you can bet, even if they did assault him as to race the school system and media would water that Part down and they wouldn’t be charged with such…yet it’s deplorable for ANYONE to Be assaulted due to their race.
Your no tolerance bullying policy clearly isn’t working. I’m old but take it for what it’s worth. I went to Tate a long time ago. YES these things have been happening for years there. YES there is ALIT of cover up. Escambia county schools was one of the main reasons I moved away to raise a family elsewhere. Surprisingly. In a total of having kids in school for 24 years there were only 3 fights ever that required police assistance. ESCAMBIA COUNTY SCHOOLS AND ESCO Sheriff’s Department. Get off your lazy rear ends and start establishing an atmosphere of education not this bs. It starts with you. And the parents of these juvenile delinquents names should be plastered across media sources! Parent your damn kids. They should know the consequences at home will be great if they act a fool while at school! This is embarrassing, sad and pure disgusting! Made national news btw…just saw it 1400 miles away! Keep it classy down there.
Ashamed in a now so called, “civilized” world that meanness, disrespect, cruelty, violence, hopelessness, rage and suicide are increasing daily. It is NOT a Brave New World, but a old and fallen one drawing ever closer to destruction. Sad.
im a student at Washington high and my best friend goes there and i saw the vid and im traumatized
This is very sad I go through this almost every day and the school does nothing until I confronted the teenagers because I could not get help I hope everyone is charged and the parents are charged with a hefty fine .
It’s an injustice to call this a fight; the victim was defenselessly beat down by his attackers. My prayers go out to everyone involved, the attackers included. I’m concerned about the quality and safety of my school and our school system, and this is definitely not the only way in which we fall short. I am, in all honesty, perpetually disappointed by the quality of my education.
The outcome would have been WAAAAY different had it happened back when I went to Tate.
To avoid this stuff I taught my children at home.
Homeschooling was fun,I taught my last three children,(they are adults now)at home,we were so happy..they went on to prefect their G.E.D.s. If I can, any one can…they are adults now,no worries, lol
after watching the video, the young man kept his arms down and did not want to fight, what these two other young men did is sad (they should be booked and charged as adults) and hang out in the general population of the jail for several weeks ….
***all schools have these issues, however Tate is known for hiding things and covering up for certain students***
the Video shows the truth and I will pray that he will heal and overcome this sad situation.
Thank you, Citizen. I couldn’t have said it better myself.
@ Citizen , everyone on here is on Tate is the subject
You said so much to say noting in the end
Are you trying to get a thumbs up or a like?
You are delusional as the kids posting on here and others on social media tell of what is and has been going on at Tate and swept under the rug
But, you know how those pesky youguns are..they all lie dont they
Because the rugs are lumpy now from all the dirt swept under them
Denial my friend..pure delusional denial
Absolutely correct @ Parents comment. I believe that mom down there would look at it in a totally different way if her kid was the one getting beat and kick on. Huh Mom?
I say Prosecute. Nuff said.
So many misinformed people…
It’s NOT a Tate problem, it happens in EVERY public school and it’s a systemic social and cultural problem.
Kids are exposed to the most horrific violence and disgusting pornography from the time the have a cell phone and internet access.
By the time they get in high school they are completely desensitized.
What many of you keep saying is that Tate “sweeps things under the rug” or “hides things” and that’s simply not true.
There are state and county mandated guidelines that must be followed with regard to discipline and the same guidelines don’t apply to each student in the same way.
These guidelines are put in place by POLITICIANS that hold office at the national, state, and county levels and teachers and administrators and parents have no choice in the matter.
Teachers and administrators want discipline and consequences and accountability, but their hands are tied by political agendas that are put in place so that there are fewer referrals, fewer suspensions, and higher graduation rates in order to improve school grades.
It’s a political sham designed to make a failing system appear as though it’s not failing.
Legislators have removed accountability and consequences in order to disguise the failure rates that they created in the first place with all of their high-stakes, high-cost, standardized testing.
I can assure you that teachers and administrators are very aware of these things and are equally and more frustrated than you.
Why do you think there’s a shortage of new teachers and that highly qualified, experienced teachers are leaving the profession at an alarming rate?
Gone are the days when students were suspended and expelled for ongoing discipline issues and fighting and drugs… doesn’t look good and lowers school grades.
Gone are the days when the teacher had ways to manage behavior problems and that a phone call home was enough. Parents can’t be bothered… it’s everyone else’s fault.
Kids KNOW from a young age that there’s no accountability or consequences in schools anymore and so they behave in ways that would horrify their parents.
The school system has been politicized and you all know how well politics works.
It’s broken and everyone is too busy and distracted with “media” to care until things like this make headlines on the very media that has them sleepwalking, clueless, and unaware in the first place.
@IfYouOnlyKnew
Look, like I said…I graduated from Tate in 1956, please after seeing an attack, you surely dont want to accuse me of not knowing about the incident to make a decision.
NOTHING warrants an assault ..no words name calling etc..
The issue became an incident..when the punch EVERYONE ON HERE SAW ON VIDEO ..Which is the incident
At my age I might be slow in moving, but eyes of mine have perfect understanding of a VIDEO ASSAULT ..which is the incident.
A cowardly assault as this is not the first one at Tate, perhaps its what you do not want to accept but..if I did the same to you…it would be called an incident..and a assault.
So please…take it somewhere else you wonderful person
Assault is threating. Battery is touching, Lock these juvenile delinquents up and throwback away the keys….JERKS Is what they are
All this from stepping on a kids shoe.
If this were not recorded it would have been sweeped undert the rug like most things that go on at Tate.
I agree that Tate is considered a good school and it is nurturing for about 25-30% of the kids. The rest do the best they can with minimal help. I think this victim had minimal help. The assault kids assumed they had power over an underdog. This campus is so spread out If planned, the bullies knew where to get the victim. This is a huge security issue. Each student should have a voice and encouraged to use their voice My nieces attend Tate and say there is a pecking order for help and class placement. This young man needed a mentor- a teacher ? to help with class placement. He was probably in classes with thugs and that’s who beat him
Escambia county school board does nothing about bullying. Yes they should be arrested along with every student that videoed it happening!
Since someone commented that no one knows the incident that led to the assault, yes I said assault because that is exactly what it was, some of us would like to be enlightened!! In my opinion, and I am a mother and a behavior interventionist at a school, whatever happened before the assault is irrelevant!! This kid was ambushed and seriously injured. There is ABSOLUTELY NO EXCUSE for the beating this kid endured.
I am a Tate alumni, it breaks my heart to see this going on at our school. It isn’t only Tate it’s all schools. Why would other students watch another this student being attacked?b. School wasn’t like this when I went to school. God Bless this student, and his family! I hope they throw the book at the attacker or attackers, but, they’ll be back to do it again.
Mom of student, wrong the VICTIM was the one that was beat! You can’t explain the thugs way out of this! When two take on one and then continue to beat, stomp and kick. There was only one victim!
Stop trying to put perfume on pigs!
I graduated Tate in 2018 an it’s really not that great of a school, they was sooooo much stuff that brush underneath the rug to hide from people, example… one of Tate’s best baseball players got with weed in the truck, expelled, an lost everything! Some how he was able to come back, get everything back, scholarships, baseball team, like nothing happened….BUT if a normal student was caught with weed in their car expelled on the spot
Our entire system is a joke. These type of behavior children starting in an Elementary are being rewarded if they behave with candy at the end of the day or week ect… While student that do their work and cause no problems are not. It’s called progressive discipline. If a student does something first it’s a warning, talk to, contact parent , referral ect.. Then as time goes on certain children realize that the Teacher, Principal, authority figures aren’t in control anymore they have given the control to the children. This video shows that. No remorse they feel entitled and have no regard for others. I say this because I watched these bullies in Elementary school and how he was treated while my son recieved No extra privileges for maintaining good grades and being held accountable for his work and behavior. This entire system will continue to worsen. Reward good behavior and teach the consequences for bad behavior before it get to a high school level.
I have to say the way the kid came swinging at the other student thru the crowd of people is disturbing. I person videoing this should be charged as an coconspirator. The one attacking and blind siding the kid standing there Should face felony charges. The final kids involved should be charged as well. I would have to know what the fight is about to determine if it should be considered a hate crime.
@Wayne:
I’m sorry to inform you, but Tate is one of the best high schools in the area. There’s only so much the admin/single SRO can do so fast when you have a student population of almost 2,300. Yes, there are some bad apples here like at any other school in the county, but you can’t judge the whole school based on your minuscule knowledge of a single incident. I guarantee you if you visit, Pine Forest, Escambia or PHS your eyes will be opened. School faculty and staff can only do so much when students aren’t being disciplined, supervised or made to follow rules by their parents/guardians!
From the looks of the video, this was no fight! This was an all-out assault on an unsuspecting kid. His attackers need to be locked up. Praying for the young man that was so brutally attacked!
I’d own everything north of the interstate after sue’n… I’m call’n Morgan & Morgan, Johnny Cochrain, Alexandra Shinarrah (spelling) and/or Perry Mason. (no fee unless I collect)
This is cowardly and is the definition of assault. The worst part of this action was the second young attacker. His actions are beyond cowardly as the victim was already on the ground and defenseless. These acts should be punished as adults. If this were to happen to in a parking lot then you would be tried and convicted of assault at a minimum. These boys have no idea how cowardly they are for this! I will admit the first punch could possibly be understood even if still a sucker punch and it should be harshly punished; however, once the victim is on the ground your point is made and should stop. The second young attacker demonstrated beyond cowardly actions as did all those watching who allowed it and did not defend a defenseless person. Stepping up for what is right and not allowing this to occur is the responsibility of all.
Wayne I said the same thing. They were recording because they knew there was going to be a fight. I moved to Cantonment just so my kids could go to ransom and Tate. Now we are looking at pulling her out and going to PSC. It’s just not safe anymore. She tells me about fights all the time and nothing gets done about it. Hurts my heart that kids can be this mean/cruel. I hope they spend lots of time in jail/prison!!
@Jim, Hate crimes don’t count on white people…come on now…you know the deal.
Why aren’t these students being charged with a hate crime? And when will we get the answer to this question from ECSO? Or Tate for that matter….. make the teenagers doing the beating learn what it means to be a man… stand up and take responsibility for their actions and pay the full price that the law demands….
Punks like them are too afraid to fight on their own. One day they will mess with the wrong person and get worse than they gave. But then instead of accepting it like a man they will turn to a weapon as means of retaliation. Kids aren’t brought up today like they used to be. I was taught to fight back to bullies and either win or lose. Regardless of the outcome most bullies will move on because they don’t want to mess with anyone who will stand up to them. That takes away their power and gives them something to think about when it comes to messing with that particular person again. It doesn’t help matters that kids are punished nowadays for standing up for themselves.
They dont need to be locked up just lock me in a room with all 3 of them for about 10 minutes. Thuggish little bully punks
Really a hate crime when the truth comes out I want the same energy that’s being tossed around now to be tossed around then yes they were wrong to jump him but what lead up to the altercation was also wrong and he’s no innocent victim all three are victims
My heart hurts so bad for this boy. Is it true he doesn’t have family? I want to help him with anything he needs.
The young man that was beaten needs an attorney …it is shown he cant trust Tate or the ECSO. The school is going to try and cover this up and minimize how savage this was
Further more, the child was set up
The person filming was already before the first blow
The 3 assailants who assaulted and battered him are cowards
AS a man who graduated Tate in 1956, this really shames me to say Tate is not a school I would ever want my grand children nor great grand children to attend
Tate, you forgot its not just a paycheck…. its not about the school, its about right and wrong
Why is this not a hate crime? If the shoe was kn the other hand they would be holding protests outside Tate.
They need to be locked up for a looong time…
ECSO described it as “a fight between students”. There was no “between” involved. The kid was didn’t want to fight, never threw a punch, and was assaulted in a craven manner by cowardly thugs.
My, aren’t they tough. 2 on 1. Neither had the guts to fight on their own. Lock them up!!!!
Thank you God! Lock those animals up! I really feel for the victim, no one deserves what happened to him.