A 13-year-old boy who stabbed his 15-year-old brother during an eight-hour car journey has told officers he would rather go to jail than be in a car with his older sibling.
Deputies from the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, Florida, arrested the young teenager on Saturday, July 6, before charging him with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.
While being questioned by police, the boy said he understood his rights and stated did not regret stabbing his brother in the arm with a pocket knife, claiming his older sibling had been teasing him prior to the incident.
As reported by Fox News, Lt. Todd Watkins, from the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, has explained the 13-year-old stabbed his brother in the arm three times using a ‘multi-tool’.
Lt. Watkins told Fox News the teenager went on to explain to police officers how he had been driven to this violent act after becoming ‘tired of his brother picking on him’.
According to the arrest report, the boy stated:
I stabbed him and I don’t care about going back to jail. I’d rather be in jail than eight hours in the car with him.
The incident reportedly happened in a car which had been parked in a residential driveway in Crestview, approximately 45 minutes away from Pensacola, Florida. After being stabbed, the older brother had been able to walk to the door of the residence, where he called 911.
Lt. Watkins told Fox News the older brother didn’t say much to officers after being stabbed. However, he was apparently heard urging some of his friends to retaliate against his younger brother while in the back of the ambulance, without any luck.
The 15-year-old was then treated for three ‘deep puncture wounds’ before being released from hospital. His injuries reportedly did not require surgery.
Following his arrest, the younger brother was charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and brought to juvenile detention.
Lt. Watkins told Fox News how the age of the young perpetrator was unusual for this sort of violent crime:
We’ve had incidents with siblings but not this young,
I have never dealt with them this young with this violent of a crime.
The two brothers reportedly live in Clarksville, Tennessee, approximately one hour away from Nashville.
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Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.