A lot of people are jumping on the bus driver for not helping the boy that is getting pummeled but honestly I side with him. There appear to be laws in place limiting or even forbidding him from interfering. Besides that point, who is to deny that those kids turn around and do the same thing to him? I think people are pointing the finger at him unjustly. The three kids need to be shot because that is absolutely ridiculous. http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/05/justice/florida-school-bus-beating/index.html?hpt=hp_c2 Story: (CNN) -- The windmilling fists and stomping feet rain down blows on the 13-year-old boy. Trapped on the floor between the bus seats, he cries out as he receives fierce punch after vicious kick from the three bigger, older youths. As the relentless assault unfolds, the driver of the Florida school bus alerts the dispatcher, pleading for aid. But he doesn't physically step in to help. The bus driver, at least according to his school's policy, did nothing wrong. 'Get somebody here quick' The attack took place July 9 in Pinellas County, Florida. But the horrific cell phone video -- and the surveillance video -- came out only recently. As the boy is pummeled, the bus driver John Moody yells at the assailants to leave the boy alone. He also asks dispatchers to send help. "You gotta get somebody here quick, quick, quick, quick," he says. "They're about to beat this boy to death over here." "Please get somebody here quick. There's still doing it," he adds. "There's nothing I can do." Moody, 64, says he was too afraid to step in. "The three boys just jumped on him and started pounding on him. And I did all can," he told CNN affiliate WFLA. "I was looking. It was like I was in shock. I was petrified." Not required to intervene The ferocity of the attack left the 13-year-old with two black eyes and a broken arm. "There was clearly an opportunity for him to intervene and or check on the welfare of the children or the child in this case and he didn't make any effort to do so," Chief Robert Vincent of Gulfport Police Department told the affiliate. According to Pinellas County school policy, the bus driver isn't required to intervene, only to call dispatch. He can step in, if he feels it's safe. Other counties actually forbid drivers from physically stopping fights. No basis for charges Prosecutors say they have no grounds on which to charge him. "It wasn't like he was looking out the window cleaning his fingernails or something like that," said Chief Assistant State Attorney Bruce Bartlett, according to CNN affiliate WFLA. Police said Moody could have given first aid to the victim after the attackers jumped off the bus. But Bartlett said the 13-year-old didn't hang around. "The kid gets up and skedaddles out the door," he said. 'I wanted to help him' The three 15-year-old boys have been arrested on aggravated assault charges. Police say the youths attacked the 13-year-old after he told officials at their dropout prevention school that one of them had tried to sell him drugs. Moody, who retired two weeks after the attack, says he's still haunted by it and has had sleepless nights. "I wanted to help him so bad," he said. "I wanted to help him." Video: <iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/zie7PkZEB4Y" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
No, there were no laws preventing him from intervening. Where he was the laws leave it up to him to decide whether he wants to intervene.
If someone's getting beat to s*** and you can easily stop it, you do it. It would have cost him his job at worst (and I don't think it would have even done that), but even still you do something. Pathetic.
Not watching the video bc don't want to get upset now, but I wonder at what age do you feel not confident about stopping three 15-yr-old punks. I think 50 is when I'd start questioning myself. That dude was 64...he was probably scared and hesitant, which is normal....I can't get mad at him for that. He was doing everything right verbally, just not physically.
I wouldn't expect a 64 year old driver to do anything. Kind of sad none of the other kids did anything either.
Are you serious, Pun?!?! You wouldn't interfere?!?! I don't give a CRAP about any law forbidding me from anything because I'm an adult... and that's my bus... and... THERE'S A KID GETTING BEATEN UP, I'M INTERFERING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WTF?!?!?!!?!?!? Am I wrong?!?!
The laws wouldn't stop me from interfering but the possibility of the three punks turning their attention and behavior upon me would, especially at that age.
I would fire my pepper spray. I think I guess bus drivers should be required to bring pepper spray or taser. Don't tase me bro...
Don't blame the bus driver. At his tender age, I doubt there was anything he could do to stop it, physically. What's the worse that could happen to these 3 punks? 10 years in detention center like in Sleepers? Hopefully they'll get brutalized in there.
Don't blame him for not intervening at 64...but he should have done something after it stopped. Help him get up and away from them or something.
This is ridiculous, arm the bus driver with a taser...something...... Dang that is horrible.....fricken scum ! DD