Athens teacher arrested after video appears to show him put student in chokehold

ATHENS, Ga. — A month after an investigation into a middle school teacher’s actions in his Athens-Clarke County classroom, he has been formally charged.

Earlier this month, Channel 2′s Candace McCowan spoke with a family who said a video shows their 13-year-old being put in a chokehold by his teacher, 30-year-old Brockton Tatum.

The incident happened Nov. 30 during algebra class at W.R. Coile Middle School.

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“He’s nice to me, I never thought he would do that to me,” said Jaden Barnett.

Jaden said he was caught off guard when an argument between him and another student ended with the arms of a teacher wrapped around his neck.

“I was like I couldn’t breathe. I started seeing black dots and stuff. I told him I couldn’t breathe, he didn’t do anything he got tighter and tighter,” said Jaden.

Eventually, Barnett said another teacher broke it up.

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Athens-Clarke County police issued warrants charging Tatum with aggravated assault. He turned himself in on Dec. 22.

After the incident, the Athens-Clarke County School District told Channel 2 Action News that the incident was under investigation and Tatum was on leave pending that investigation. His current status with the district is unclear.

According to jail records, Tatum posted bond and was released about 12 hours after turning himself in.

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