Juvenile charged with assault for alleged brawl

ASOTIN — A 16-year-old Asotin boy is facing two charges of fourth-degree assault for allegedly instigating a fight with two other boys.

Charges against the juvenile were filed this week in Asotin County Superior Court. His name is being withheld because of his age and because he is facing misdemeanor charges.

According to the probable-cause affidavit, the boy was involved in an altercation Sept. 24 in an Asotin High School parking lot during a volleyball match. He is accused of striking a student in the head, and “karate kicking” another boy in the stomach and flipping him onto the ground, along with punching him in the face with a closed fist.

The boys reportedly left the gym to get snacks at the nearby Nom Nom when they noticed the defendant and a group of his friends following them, according to court documents. They were confronted outside.

Police interviewed the defendant, who said the incident stemmed from racial slurs, but he reportedly could not pinpoint the nature of the alleged remarks, saying it was third-hand information.

Asotin Police Chief Monte Renzelman talked with the boy about how to deal with racial offenses, saying violence was not an appropriate response. Reporting it to school officials and other authorities is the proper way to handle it, the chief said.

One of the boys who was interviewed said no racial comments have been made about the defendant at school. However, kids have talked about him falling asleep in class and snoring, which may have prompted the fight.

In addition to the court charges, school discipline was handed down following the incident, according to the report.

Fourth-degree assault is listed as a gross misdemeanor. Deputy Prosecutor Matt Newberg is handling the case on behalf of Asotin County, and an attorney will be appointed for the juvenile when he appears before Judge Brooke Burns at 1:30 p.m. Oct. 21.