A 17 year-old student from West Johnston High School was arrested Wednesday after an incident that left a classmate unconscious.
The incident happened just before the end of the school day on Tuesday.
Chavis Deion Smith of Angier allegedly placed a 14 year-old student in a JROTC classroom in a “sleeper hold” he had recently seen on TV. The 14 year-old victim lost consciousness and fell to the floor. After regaining consciousness several minutes later the juvenile sought help.
The sleeper hold is performed by placing one arm around a person’s throat from behind, similar to a form of strangulation. If the sleeper hold is applied too long, it can cause permanent injury or even death.
In this case, the 14 year-old did lose consciousness but was not injured.
Smith was charged with assault and battery, a misdemeanor. He was released on a $500 bond.
Johnston County Public Schools could also take disciplinary action against Smith under their Code of Conduct Policy.
