SEE  UPDATE  BELOW:  NPD Arrests School’s Principal On Incident Involving Student

*** If anyone has information about the this incident they are urged to contact the Natchitoches Police Department at (318) 352-8101 or you may contact Detective Jeff Townson at (318) 357-3852 of the Natchitoches Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division.  All calls shall be kept confidential. ***

NATCHITOCHES: On March 16, 2015 the Natchitoches Police Department received a call from a concerned parent who stated that her eleven (11) year old son came home in tears stating that he had been struck multiple times by his school’s Principal.  Furthermore, the juvenile advised his mother that while he was at school the principal took him into the boys’ restroom where no one else was present and slammed him up against the wall, causing his head to hit the wall, and the juvenile went on to state that the principal then punched him in the chest with his fist.  The mother then stated that her son explained he was allowed to exit the restroom but was then taken to an unoccupied classroom where he was poked in the chest with the principal’s paddle and later allowed to return to class, however she stated that her son was immediately taken out of his class a second time and taken back to an unoccupied classroom and paddled by the principal.  The juvenile was later transported to Natchitoches Regional Medical Center to obtain treatment to injuries sustained during the encounter with his school’s principal.

The incident in-question was immediately turned over to the Criminal Investigations Division (CID) of the Natchitoches Police Department.  Further investigation of incident led to the discovery of addition facts which led to the arrest of the Principal of the Frankie Ray Jackson Technical Center; Bobby Joe Benjamin Jr., forty-one (41) years of age, of 306 Pine St., Natchitoches, LA was taken into custody for violation of LA R.S. 14:93 Cruelty to Juveniles, LA R.S. 14:34 Aggravated Battery, LA R.S. 14:35 Simple Battery, LA R.S. 14:34.1 Second (2nd) Degree Battery.  Mr. Benjamin was later transported out to the Natchitoches Parish Detention Center and later released on a Ninety-five Hundred Dollar ($9500.00) Property Bond.

If anyone has information about the this incident they are urged to contact the Natchitoches Police Department at (318) 352-8101 or you may contact Detective Jeff Townson at (318) 357-3852 of the Natchitoches Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division.  All calls shall be kept confidential.