Junction City beating victim not random

Friday, November 12, 2004 |
JUNCTION CITY (AP) - Two teenagers who videotaped their beating of a high school student did not initially plan to add music to the footage or have it sold to students.
Those decisions, authorities said Thursday, came later.
"We do not have testimony from anyone that would indicate there was a plan to film a fight and produce it," Junction City police detective Michael McClellan said in a written statement.
The homemade DVD depicts an Oct. 21 assault on a male student in the Junction City High School parking lot by two other boys, neither of whom attend the school.
The video shows one boy punching the student in the face. The film then cuts to the other boy chasing the student down, punching him in the head and body, and slamming his head into a car window as a crowd watches, police said.
A soundtrack of rap music with violent lyrics accompanies the images.
Police initially thought the suspects chose their victim randomly for the purpose of recording a fight. McClellan, however, has since learned that the victim knew one of the boys, who may have harbored a grudge against him.
"There was an issue involving a current or past girlfriend," McClellan said.
An assault charge has been filed against a 17-year-old boy accused of participating in the fight and the recording. No charges have been filed against the other teen who is shown attacking the victim.
Rumors about the recording were confirmed when school resource officer Corey Mertz obtained a copy from a student. He and a school official traced it to a teen who had copies of the DVD in his backpack, and was selling them for $5 each.
McClellan said the boy, who did not participate in the beating, got the idea for the DVD after the fight and had a hand in producing it. He is not facing charges.
Police, however, said the investigation remains active and witnesses are being interviewed.
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