MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Eight of the ten teenagers charged in a mob attack at a Memphis Kroger agreed to a plea deal Tuesday morning.
All were charged with aggravated riot, but others faced additional charges as well.
Four girls and four boys pleaded guilty to aggravated riot. They’ll serve 40 hours of community service, must stay in school, follow curfew restrictions and write a letter of apology to the three people who were beaten.
If they follow those rules, all charges will be dropped from their records.
A ninth defendant, charged with possession of marijuana, a weapon, aggravated riot and three counts of assault, was taken away from his mother and put into DCS custody.
A tenth juvenile opted to have a trial where Judge Dan Michael found him guilty of aggravated assault. An attorney for the teen argued throwing a pumpkin at someone’s head was not aggravated assault. Judge Michael disagreed saying, “You beat him into unconsciousness. He could have easily died.”
Judge Michale ordered the teen be taken from his mother and placed in DCS custody.
Both sides were moved to tears at the end of the trial and said they’re ready to move on.
Two employees and a customer were attacked around 9:15 on a Saturday night by a mob of teenagers at the Kroger at Highland and Poplar September 6.
A woman also reported her car was surrounded by teens and damaged minutes earlier.
“Before they jumped on the man, I would have left. Called my momma so she could come and get me. ”
That’s what Stanely Self says he should have done on September 6th in the Kroger parking lot. Tuesday, he pleaded guilty to being involved, but says he’s innocent.
“I did not participate in the fight, and hit. When I say, I was guilty I mean I was guilty with the crowd at CiCi’s pizza in the parking lot,” he said.
Self was one of the kids who got a plea deal.
Bridgett Stigger is the lead prosecutor in this case. She says they took the plea deals in this case very seriously.
“General Weirich and I wanted to make sure that the children who had no prior context that this didn’t mean it was the end of their lives,” she said.
Most of the kids had clean records. In fact, one of them was the valedictorian of her eighth-grade class.
Two of the boys still have a long way to go. They’re the ones seen throwing pumpkins on the Kroger employee’s head and kicking him. The judge has ordered them to treatment with the Department of Child Services.
Stigger said, “It’s somewhat similar to a detention facility, but it’s in a different part of the state. They will be there for as long as it takes for them to be rehabilitated. They are the master of their fate.”
But Self says they shouldn’t be the only ones going.
“It was a lot more people than just us. I feel like they shouldn’t be the only one taken away from their mother,” he said.
The victims say if he knows more kids who didn’t get charged, he should turn them in.
Self said he plans to take advantage of the mentoring programs being offered by the court.
“Get around with the mentors, and all that. I feel like it will keep me out of trouble, and off the streets,” he said.
Another defendant, Raheem Richardson, 19, is charged as an adult and is being held in the Shelby County jail on a $75,000 bond.