INDIANAPOLIS — An Indianapolis man is facing felony charges for allegedly assaulting and threatening a teen riding his bike.
Jason Harrell is charged with battery involving bodily injury and intimidation.
According to court documents, on Jan. 25, officers from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department were dispatched to the 700 block of Aberdeen Drive following reports of a disturbance involving an adult male who had assaulted a juvenile male.
The complainant, Britney Schwitzke, informed police that an ongoing issue with a neighbor, identified as Harrell, had escalated. Harrell had a history of confronting neighborhood children over their use of motorized bikes on both sidewalks and roadways.
According to Schwitzke, her 14-year-old son, Jordan, reported that Harrell had physically assaulted him by pushing and punching him.
"These kids are just out here being kids and we've got to protect these kids," Schwitzke said.
Police spoke with the teen, who explained to the officers that while riding his bike in the roadway, he heard a vehicle approaching quickly from behind. To avoid the vehicle, he pulled over onto the side of the road, where Harrell, driving a white van, stopped next to him.
Jordan reported that Harrell extended his arm out of the vehicle and pushed him off his bike. After driving a short distance, Harrell turned around and returned to where Jordan had fallen. At this point, Harrell exited his vehicle and pushed Jordan again, causing him to fall to the ground.
When Jordan was on the ground, Harrell punched him in the face with a closed fist, allegedly stating, "Stay out of the road or I'll kill you."
"I just hope that maybe he can get some anger management help and learn to control those anger issues," Schwitzke said.
As a result of Harrell's actions, Jordan sustained injuries, including a painful bruise on his lip that began to bleed.
Officers responding to the incident took photographs of Jordan's injuries and began gathering more information. They contacted Harrell at his residence in the 800 block of Aberdeen Drive.
When questioned about the incident, Harrell denied physically assaulting Jordan and insisted he had only yelled at the juvenile for what he described as habitual reckless riding.
"Nobody should hurt him or any other children. There is too much of that going around. We all have to come together and protect these kids," Schwitzke said.
Harrell was placed under arrest for his actions. His initial hearing was on Tuesday morning.
"It's our job to stand up for people who can’t stand up for themselves, that’s the role that law enforcement plays," Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears told WRTV.
