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Crime & Safety

UPDATED: Police, Defense Attorney Provide Different Accounts of DHS Graduation Arrest

Police say man ignored officer, pushed by her and didn't cooperate; lawyer says his client was "unnecessarily manhandled and assaulted" by officers.

Decatur police and a defense lawyer are providing different accounts of what happened when the father of a Decatur High graduating senior was arrested last week at the school commencement ceremony.

William Castle of Shadowmoor Drive was charged May 26 with two counts of obstruction of a law enforcement officer and one count of simple battery -- all misdemeanors. He was held overnight in the DeKalb County Jail.

According to an officer's narrative of the incident, Castle ignored the officer's order to stay out of the school gymnasium and pushed by her, causing the officer to stumble. The narrative said another officer "escorted Castle to the ground" because Castle didn't cooperate as officers tried to take him out of the gym and put on handcuffs.

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Castle's lawyer, John Petrey, said Castle wasn't told to stay out of the gym, walked through an open door into the gym and was tackled from behind by an officer. Castle stopped resisting as soon as he realized the attacker was an officer, Petrey said.

"Bill was unnecessarily manhandled and assaulted by the police officers," Petrey said. "The bottom line is we deny Bill obstructed any officer."

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Bruce Roaden, director of community relations for Decatur City Schools, said the ceremony was moved from the football stadium to the gym that night because of extremely hard rain and winds. He said “the general policy” was that police blocked entry to the gym once the graduation program started. Roaden said people who came late could view the ceremony on closed-circuit television in the school auditorium.

“Once the processional had started they [spectators] had to go somewhere else,” he said.

Police released an officer’s narrative of the event. Deputy Police Chief Keith Lee refused comment on Tuesday.

The officer’s narrative provides this account:

The officer, identified only as R. Taylor, said she was blocking a gymnasium door about 7 p.m. and talking to somebody inside the gym about the exiting policy when Castle approached and said he needed to get inside. Taylor said nobody else was allowed in the gym, according to instructions from school administrators. Castle repeated he needed to get inside and Taylor repeated nobody else could enter.

According to the narrative: “Castle stated, ‘You’re not gonna tell me what I can’t do, I’m going inside.’ Castle then using his body, pushed past Officer Taylor causing her to stumble as Castle entered the gymnasium. At that moment, Officer Taylor grabbed Castle and instructed him to exit the gymnasium. Castle refused to move and Officer Zachery grabbed Castle in an attempt to escort him outside the gymnasium. As Officer Zachery was escorting Castle from the building, Castle stopped walking and tightened his body making it rigid and difficult to move. Officer Taylor observed Castle pull his wrist away from Officer Zachery’s grasp. Officer Zachery escorted Castle to the ground.”

The narrative said Castle continued to tighten his body and keep his arms stiff, making it difficult for officers to put handcuffs on his wrists. After cuffing Castle’s hands behind his back, the officers put Castle into a patrol car and took him to the police department and then to the county jail.

Petrey said Castle had already entered the gym and went into the lobby to take a phone call from his boss. Castle is assistant vice president of facilities management at Emory University. Petrey said Castle heard somebody say something about doors being locked, ended the phone call and headed back into the gym.

"As someone came out, he tried to go in," Petrey said.

Petrey said Castle was "immediately" grabbed and tackled from behind and thrown to the floor. Castle tried to push off the person but stopped when he realized it was a police officer, Petrey said. Petrey said Castle explained he had a ticket to the graduation but the police twisted his arms and took him out of the building.

"He was walking," Petrey said. "He was completely cooperating."

Petrey said Castle was bailed out of jail about 6 a.m. Friday, May 27, on $4,700 bond. Petrey said he wants the charges dismissed and has talked to the Decatur city court solicitor, the Decatur High principal and other city officials about the case.

Petrey said he knows of nobody else who was arrested, but heard from other spectators who had unpleasant interactions with officers.

"We have found no witness who verifies the police account," Petrey said. "We have identified several people who were treated rudely by police."

 

 

 

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