MEMPHIS, TN (abc24.com) - Two teens have been transferred from juvenile to adult court for severely beating another teen who was trying to leave their gang.
Adarius Green and Timothy Taylor, both 17 years old, are accused of the April 5 beating of 16-year-old Octavius Thompson on a southeast Memphis pedestrian bridge. The victim was beaten unconscious and sustained severe injuries to his head, arms and torso. At a Juvenile Court hearing on June 12, it was revealed that the suspects were "breaking" or beating the victim out of their gang.
"My son was ten minutes blacked out; he could have died, been a vegetable. They need to get locked up, throw the book and let them deal with the consequences," said the victim's mother, Keshia Thompson.
Ray Lepone, Chief Prosecutor for the District Attorney's Gang Unit, said after Wednesday's hearing, "This is one of the more brutal, most brazen beatings I've seen."
He says the fact Green and Taylor are admitted gang members, coupled with the viciousness of the assault, left the DA's office no choice but to charge them as adults.
"There's no other response the DA can have for something this brutal, this violent," Lepone said.
Green also has previous charges of aggravated assault and reckless endangerment for shooting a man in the foot in December 2011. He will be tried as an adult on two counts of aggravated assault and one county felony reckless endangerment, and is being held on $30,000 bond. If convicted, he faces up to 36 years behind bars.
Taylor will be tried as an adult on one count of aggravated assault and is being held on $20,000 bond. He faces a maximum sentence of 15 years.
Octavius, who suffered a concussion as a result of the attack, says he learned a hard lesson. "Don't join a gang."
