Florida High School Student, Brendan Depa, Pleads No Contest in Attack on Teacher's Aide Over Nitendo Gaming Device

A Florida high school student, accused of a violent attack on a teacher's aide for confiscating his Nintendo Switch, entered a no contest plea in court on Monday, according to online records. 

Brendan Depa, now 18 and facing adult charges, is confronted with a first-degree felony aggravated battery charge on an elected official or education employee, which could lead to a maximum of 30 years in prison.

The incident, captured on video and widely circulated earlier this year, took place on February 21 when Depa, then 17, allegedly assaulted a teacher's aide at Matanzas High School in Palm Coast. 

Reports from WESH-TV indicate that Depa, classified as a special needs student, is autistic and currently detained in Flagler County Jail on a $1 million bond, as stated by his attorney Kurt Teifke to the Daytona Beach-News Journal.

Joan Naydich, the teacher's aide, was granted a permanent injunction for protection against repeat violence from Depa in March, citing two broken ribs and multiple bruises resulting from the incident. 

Circuit Judge Terence Perkins has scheduled Depa's sentencing hearing for January 31, with an open plea implying no agreement between the defense attorney and prosecutors regarding the potential sentence, as reported by the Daytona Beach News-Journal.

Surveillance footage released by the Flagler County Sheriff's Office reportedly displays the 6-foot-6, 270-pound student rushing towards the teacher's aide, forcefully pushing her to the ground, and subsequently launching a series of punches and kicks. 

The aide is seen lying on the ground for several minutes before being assisted back up by others.

Depa's history includes three previous misdemeanor battery charges, dating back to March, April, and June of 2019, as per court documents obtained by Fox News Digital. 

These charges originated from the 13th Judicial Circuit in Hillsborough County, with records indicating Depa's completion of a program within the Department of Juvenile Justice for these offenses.

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