JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Florida State College at Jacksonville student faces a felony battery charge after witnesses say he assaulted a professor at the school’s downtown campus.
According to an arrest report, officers responded to the campus on Sept. 30.
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As security officers and a Jacksonville police officer entered the building, an FSCJ employee shouted, “Stop him, he just assaulted a professor.”
Police say a 27-year-old student was stopped before leaving the building. When an officer asked what happened, the student reportedly said, “I just assaulted my professor.”
The professor told officers suspect had been in his class since Aug. 25. He said he had no previous issues with the student but noticed something was bothering him.
The professor said the student left during a scheduled class break around 8:45 a.m. The professor texted him to check if everything was OK but did not get a response. The suspect returned to class shortly after.
According to the report, the suspect was seated in the front row with 16 other classmates. Around 2:55 p.m., the professor said the suspect stood up, walked to the front of the classroom, expressed frustration, and made a disrespectful remark before punching him in the face.
The professor said the suspect then struck him several more times before a witness intervened and restrained him. The suspect grabbed his backpack and left the classroom, according to the report.
He is charged with battery on a public or private education employee.