Bodycam footage revealed non-binary Nex Benedict’s story in which he described the attack by “bullies” in a school bathroom to an Oklahoma officer the day before they died.
The 21-minute interview, conducted at Owasso Hospital just two hours after the Feb. 7 fight, details the events leading up to the altercation before Nex was fired.
Officer Caleb Thompson spoke with the 16-year-old Oklahoma boy who died a day after being involved in a fight that broke out in a high school bathroom accompanied by their mother, Sue.
“So what happened today?” Officer Thompson asked.
“I jumped,” Nex replied, before Sue intervened and told the officer about Nex’s complaints of persistent bullying.
Bodycam footage revealed the story of non-binary Nex Benedict who described attack by ‘bullies’ in a school bathroom to an Oklahoma officer the day before they died
The 21-minute interview, conducted at Owasso Hospital just two hours after the Feb. 7 fight, details the events leading up to the altercation before Nex was fired. Nex, 16, died Feb. 8, a day after they were attacked in a restroom at Owasso Public High School
“(Nex) said mom, these three girls over there, they’re making comments, they’re calling us names, they’re throwing things at us,” she said.
“(Nex) did it, until (they) couldn’t do it anymore, in the bathroom,” Sue told the officer.
Nex then described the provocation, recalling how the girls ridiculed them before Nex poured water on them.
“They said something like ‘why are they laughing so much,’ and they were talking about us, in front of us,” Nex told Thompson. “So I went up and poured water on them, and all three of them came towards me.”
Officer Thompson appeared to dissuade Nex and their mother from filing charges, warning them of possible legal consequences for both parties involved.
He questioned Nex about their decision not to report the girls’ actions to school officials, to which Nex replied, “I didn’t see the point.” I told my mother.’
“You have freedom of speech,” the officer said. ‘The moment you threw water on it, you made the first shot. Maybe things aren’t going the way you want.’
“Silencing is unfortunately freedom of speech,” the officer added. “You can say mean, hurtful things all day long and you have to let it roll off your shoulder.”
Sue asked, “What about it, because there were three of them, and (Nex) only threw water on one.”
Thompson argued that regardless of the girl’s actions, Nex started the fight, causing a “domino effect” of events. He claimed both Nex and the girls as “victims” and “suspects.”
Thompson apparently discouraged Nex’s mother from pressing charges, claiming that both Nex and the girls who attacked them were both “victims” and “suspects”
Thompson argued that Nex started the fight by pouring water on the girls, causing a “domino effect” of events
The teen’s mother said Nex has been bullied since the start of the 2023 school year, just months after Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed a restroom ban bill requiring students to use the bathroom adjacent to their biological sex.
Sue expresses dissatisfaction with the school’s handling of the situation and urges Thompson to inquire about the delay in alerting authorities.
“They dropped the ball without notifying me right away,” Thompson said.
Sue said, “Those girls started everything from scratch.”
Earlier this week, Nex’s family announced they would launch their own investigation after autopsy results showed the teen did not die from injuries sustained in a school fight.
Sue told me The independent On Monday she said that her child has been repeatedly bullied for over a year by various students because of their non-binary identity.
‘Nex was attacked and abused in a bathroom by a group of other students. A day later, Benedict’s beautiful child lost his life,” the family said in a statement.
Next, 16, who was born Dagny, died on February 8, just a day after suffering head trauma during a bathroom fight at Owasso High School, Oklahoma.
Friends said Benedict went by the name “Nex.” The teenager was described as a nature lover and a keen cook who adored their cat Zeus
Messages Nex sent to a family member after the fight, shared by Fox23, now reveal the teen tried to stand up to their bullies
Police have since stated that the 16-year-old did not die as a result of the injuries, but they have not clarified the cause of death.
“At this time, further comments regarding the cause of death are pending until toxicology results and other additional test results are received,” police said.
“The official autopsy report will be available at a later date,” Owasso police said Wednesday evening.
The police statement after Nex described in text to her family what happened before she was taken to hospital before she died.
‘I was jumped at school. 3 on 1, had to go to the ER,” Nex wrote, adding, “They had been bullying me and my friends and I got tired of it so I poured some water on them and all three of them came after me. The school did not report the incident to the police.’
Officers investigating Nex’s death said they were called to the hospital by the teen’s family around 3 p.m. on Feb. 7, but the school did not call 911.
Nex was asked by the family member if everything was okay and the teen responded that they were “all good” and had some scrapes and bruises. They also added, “If I feel dizzy or nauseous in the morning, I may be having a concussion.”
Sue Benedict, Nex’s biological grandmother and legal guardian, revealed that Nex was beaten by three older girls after being bullied for a year.
Benedict told it Independent that Nex was severely beaten during the fight, during which she said Nex was knocked to the ground and hit their heads, and suffered bruises to their face and eyes, as well as scratches to the back of their heads.
She also said she was aware that Nex, who she said saw herself as neither male nor female, was bullied for being gender fluid, but that she “I didn’t know how bad it had gotten.”
The teen’s guardian, Benedict, described her child as a true student, animal lover and a talented cook at a funeral service held Thursday.
‘I was so proud of Nex. They went somewhere, they were so free,” she said.
During the incident, the teenager’s head was reportedly repeatedly hit on the floor of the school’s toilet
In a statement to local media, Owasso Public Schools said it could not comment due to an ongoing investigation
Benedict said Nex has been bullied since the start of the 2023 school year, just months after Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt signed a bathroom ban bill requiring students to use the bathroom that corresponds to their biological gender.
An obituary described the teenager’s love of nature and his “caring” nature, especially towards beloved cat Zeus.
“(Nex) enjoyed various activities such as watching The Walking Dead, drawing, reading and playing Ark and Minecraft,” the post said.
The teen is survived by her grandparents Sue and Walter Benedict, as well as four sisters, two brothers and a niece and nephew, according to the obituary.
a GoFundMe has also been established to help the family cover funeral costs.
In a rack Owasso Public Schools said that “students were in the restroom for less than two minutes and the physical altercation was interrupted by other students who were in the restroom at the time, along with a staff member supervising outside the restroom.”