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ECSO: School Bus Driver Attacks Student With Hammer
November 10, 2016
Two people have been arrested after a student reported being hit with a hammer by his school bus driver.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office reports obtaining video of school bus driver Jimmy Edwards, 55, striking the child with a hammer, then kicking the student off the bus on Highway 98 at Fairfield Drive. Edwards was charged with aggravated child abuse and child neglect.
School bus monitor Pamela Bethea, 54, was charged with failure to report child abuse after she allegedly remained in her seat during the incident and said nothing.
Edward allegedly armed himself with the hammer and said he would show the boy “he was not playing” after the victim called him an “old man”.
Video shows Edwards walked to the back of the school bus and hit the victim twice in the head with his hand. He then swung the hammer at the victim two times while the boy was still sitting down.
The victim got up and walked to the front exit of the school bus. Edwards then swung the hammer twice, nearly missing the victim’s head, while the boy was walking away.
Edwards then hit the boy’s arm with the tool before kicking him off the bus. The boy, a student at Camelot Academy, was forced to walk home without any supervision.
Edwards and Bethea have been suspended by the Escambia County School District as the investigation continues.
Comments
38 Responses to “ECSO: School Bus Driver Attacks Student With Hammer”
I can remember when I use ride the bus the man had a paddle on his bus .wipe u and then put off no matter if it was raining cold pipping hot r how 4 u was from home or how 4away school just saying things have change . the hammer man
Hey, a kid misbehaved on the bus and the driver attacked him with a hammer….let’s choose sides and attack each other!
REGARDING:
“I thought all public transportation vehicles are required to carry some device (such as a hammer) to knock out windows in case of an emergency in case the exit doors are jammed.”
Two or three emergency window exits per side, two emergency exit hatches on the roof, seatbelt cutter in case any jam. 84 passenger pushers have a side door emergency exit, 77 and 65 passenger buses and shorter buses have an emergency exit in the rear. It is not there for that purpose, but the fire extinguisher could probably be used to break glass in the extremely unlikely event some other exit were needed.
David for ways out
and avoiding the need if possible
To Bewildered: I was not trying to make anyone think I am an expert…..in case I read your comment correctly………..I am sorry,you thought so….
REGARDING:
“What is a ‘bus monitor’? Do today’s buses need secure cockpit doors?”
A behavior technician. A person who is supposed to get children to modify their behavior for the safety of themselves, the other riders and anyone the bus may encounter dangerously if the driver is distracted. Some children don’t know or are unwilling to behave properly, sit in their seat, don’t hit or otherwise abuse others, et cetera.
We sometimes fantasize about the bars at the Fair where they close down on the children and keep them safely in their seats until stopped at their stop, then rise up to let them off.
David for good things and perfect children
I thought all public transportation vehicles are required to carry some device (such as a hammer) to knock out windows in case of an emergency in case the exit doors are jammed. Beegee as an expert set me straight. It has been a while that I rode on a bus or a train, but I do remember devices on the wall in an enclosure that could be used to break glass.
Understanding the nature of Camelot School is to offer one last
Chance for troubled misguided children that have been removed from public school . Striking a child is not acceptable especially like this guy did . I believe he asked for help several times from the school admin and transportation staff and he was given none .
Seen a 15 year old child at over 300 pounds beating his father and tried to help and received a broken arm from a child. Just saying.
Just to clarify, I meant the students, not the bus workers, when I said these are children.
It’s not Trump’s job, nor the school’s job, to discipline the child. That should start at home.
I,too,have driven a school bus….and worked around children for 18 years!! There were a lot of things that I read between the lines.To me,this is a troubled man.Maybe he was the one raised in violence and deals with things in a violent manner…..but still NO excuses!!!!!!! If you are the adult,you must retain that status…abd no hammers on the bus!!!
THERE ARE NO EXCUSES FOR WHAT WAS DONE!!!!!!!PERIOD!!!!!HE WAS THE ADULT AND SHOULD HAVE HAD HIMSELF UNDER CONTROL!!!!HE MAY HAVE BEEN RAISED IN A HOME WITH A LOT OF ANGER,BUT STILL NO EXCUSES!!!!PEOPLE,WISE UP!!
I drove a school bus for 5 years. I cannot imagine how much more difficult it must be now. It is VERY difficult to drive safely when being so very distracted by anything, especially with no proper and immediate recourse. Not condoning what the driver did, but understanding some of what drove him. Sad.
The bus aide will walk.
All she has to do is claim that the driver threatened to harm her if she squealed.
What is a ‘bus monitor’? Do today’s buses need secure cockpit doors?
Have a child that goes to Camelot and guess what not court order are even have a behavior and I also have a stepson that goes there cause he is court order well my daughter chose to go thee to keep her step brother from getting in trouble are falling back into the system yes some kids are challenged but at the same time you can’t take matters into your own hands I’m sure there are steps and ways to deal with the kids in the bus.He had no reason at all to have that hammer are put his hands on that child cause that’s what they are someone child…I’m sure he has kids grandkids and he would not want anyone to treat them that way you was wrong how ever we look at it….Shame on you
I feel sorry for the bus driver, he snapped and all the people condemning him on this forum should volunteer for a week or more to drive a school bus. Sadly, the story does not indicate how old this “little misunderstood angel” was. God forbid he was only 16 or 17 and was forced to walk home for a mile – that alone should give his momma and daddy cause for a hefty law suit! (tongue in cheek) The man is paid to DRIVE and needs to direct his attention to the road. Kids that will not adhere to simple rules should be handled by their parents – it is not society’s job to raise them. .
He probably took the hammer not to really hit the student but for protection, thinking the student could hurt him or other students would join in the fight. This student also need some discipline to learn respect for authority.
Being outta work is gonna be the worst of it. Contrary to what I thought, our man got the win. But it might take him a while b4 the job market starts to recover. Meanwhile, jobs, esp good ones like county civil service worker (bus drivers) are gonna be scarce. So, both these individuals messed up bad. These are children, raised by the tv, computer & phone. It conditions them to be rude & primitive, so try to cut them a little slack, as having absentee parents is tough. I know from experience, an uncertain, on the edge family life situation is terrible. And looking forward to an uncertain future only makes it worse. Be professional in dealing with children if it is part of your job, as losing your temper can cost you everything.
Apply for the job
Boredom is not a problem
(all this and they pay us too?)
David for good jobs
When I was a teacher in the public school system, I worked with many of our more troubled students at the high school level. We used to “problem solve” on a regular basis because, as I told them, if they decided to used the smart side of their mouths or their fists to solve a problem, then they ran the risk of someone bigger and meaner than them cleaning their clocks. Sounds like that’s what happened here. It wasn’t right, but maybe the kid will think twice before doing it again. The guy driving the bus needs to get another job if he can’t handle the pressure. (When he gets out of jail). It is a rough job, I know.
Donald J. Trump, hopefully will start with Making America GREAT Again with bring back the paddle in schools! IF YOU DON’T START WITH THE YOUTH,this country is DONE!!! And if the parents don’t like it. Home school your problem!!!
Melodies, it never says the driver sat down after hitting him with his hand. The driver was in the back of the bus until the student walked away and then he got hit some more.
I pray my son never has to go through this nor my youngest, cause they would see their dad locked up after I got done with the bus driver. He and probably the aide are going to be fired ” hopefully “. He will be out of jail getting a new job “hopefully ” not with children and more than likely get any help. But I don’t want to jump to conclusions, has this boy parents been notified that the child was miss behaving, if so what if anything have they done to correct it, are there any other things in play that their not telling us… who knows. Really people come on did it really take a hammer to de-escalate the situation?
I heard about this yesterday, when he was arrested at the bus compound. I was positive it was a false accusation by a disgruntled youth. I am horrified to find out its true. Yes, Camelot kids are not in regular school for good reason. Yes, they can be challenging. Yes, they can even be violent. But hitting is not OK. Not ever. And with a hammer? Really? A HAMMER! Why was this even on the bus? Sir, you have shamed us all.
Really Pam, you sat on your butt and did nothing? Why? Its YOUR job to watch the kids. If you were too scared to jump in between you should have called someone.
Shame on both of you. Please, don’t judge all drivers and aides by the actions of these two. Most are good, hardworking people who truly care for the kids.
Melodies4us you sound like a bus driver & you also know what some drivers have to put up with, which some of these kids are horrific. To everyone who thinks these kids are sweet Lil kids, no I don’t think he should have used a hammer but we don’t know what those adults have been through either. Some of those kids could be from a home that maybe their house just recently got turned upside down, & is acting out a little who knows, but those of you that doesn’t know what Camelot Academy is it’s not your poshed private country club school it’s a school where these kids go that have already been kicked out of our public schools for a tad bit because they couldn’t control themselves.
When the child acts up ! Make the parents ride the bus with the child. NO EXCUSES
Children from this school go there because they have behavior issues. When you agree to work with these kids you know you are going to have problems. If you can’t handle it then you don’t take the job. I don’t care how frustrating the job gets you don’t threaten a child with a weapon nor do you hit them. If you find yourself near the breaking part then you take leave, get away from them and don’t do anything this horrible.
I’m one for discipline but this man went way over the boundary! He should face charges and serve jail time; plus be banned from all jobs involving children. Yes, I’m sure the kid was a smart mouthed brat (no matter what age) but the driver, with one blow, could have killed the kid.
Don’t you think that if he had really hit the student with a hammer the boy would be either dead or in the hospital? Just sayin!
Camelot Academy is an Alternative Placement Program for the school system.
From their website:
Camelot is a program for students who have been referred for expulsion, alternative placement; and/or transitioning from a residential juvenile justice program. No referrals from schools.
>>>“Nearly missing” so he hit the kid, cause a near miss would be a hit. I think you meant “Nearly Hitting” right?
Continue reading the next paragraph…
“Edwards then hit the boy’s arm with the tool before kicking him off the bus.”
He hit the “victim” with his HAND twice, then he returned to his driver’s seat. This clearly shows that this kid was giving him trouble on a regular basis. After the driver returned to his seat, the”victim” came after him. There is more to this story. I hope the naughty kid gets reprimanded as well. Yes, there are better ways of handling disobedient students on the bus. We do not know if this bus driver had already gone through the proper channels of dicapline.
There is no excuse for such action, but there is also no excuse for the parents not teaching these kids to respect people!
I can’t even think of words to express how horrific this is. Where there other children on the bus?? If so, imagine the panic and fear they must have felt! The poor parents of this child!!!! And that “woman” — I’m using that term very loosely– sitting there and not saying a word! Maybe she was afraid the guy would hit her too? But even so there is NO WAY IN HELL i’m gonna sit there and watch someone hit a child with a hammer! I would say I wouldn’t watch anyone hit anyone with a hammer but right now, I kind of wish someone would introduce both of those people to the claw side of craftsman…. JUST SAYING!
I know kids these days have no respect but you have to know who the adult is and control yourself…damn…a hammer.
“Nearly missing” so he hit the kid, cause a near miss would be a hit. I think you meant “Nearly Hitting” right?
Well,sir,you certainly showed that you meant it…..but there’s a lot more showing now than you want to show!!!!! The Aide has also shown her true nature!!! Fired,of course,and jail time!!!!