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Video shows man chasing Colorado seventh-grader, throwing him to ground

Posted at 5:11 PM, Dec 13, 2017
and last updated 2017-12-13 17:11:38-05

AURORA, Colo.  - A man chased a Colorado seventh-grader and slammed him to the ground after the boy allegedly threw an object at the man’s vehicle, according to the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office.

Authorities said the boy was among a group of kids walking home from school around 4:30 p.m. near South Sicility Street and East Powers Avenue on Monday.

Police said they received multiple calls about the group of kids throwing objects at traffic.

After a glove reportedly hit Lee Brandt's car, video shows the 46-year-old chasing a middle schooler down a walkway, grabbing him and slamming him to the ground.

The video shows the other kids running toward the two and hitting the man with their backpacks.

The kids said they were just tossing around a glove, which is what hit the man's vehicle.

Brandt told deputies he thought the object seemed heavier, and that's why he got out and chased the boy.

Eric Pappas, the boy's father, said his son is being punished for what he did, but he doesn't think his child deserved to be tackled by Brandt.

"I can understand holding him if he felt there was damage to his vehicle, sure. You know, grab his backpack," Pappas said.

"It was the part where he threw him backwards when he grabbed his backpack threw him to the ground and put his knee into his throat that was disconcerting to me."

Brandt has been charged with third-degree assault and the boy could face some kind of juvenile charge for throwing an object.

Attempts to reach Brandt on Tuesday were unsuccessful.