Mother: Son beaten after football game, hospitalized for pro-police views

SYLACAUGA, Ala. (WIAT) – Tensions continue to mount in the community after a teenager was brutally attacked after a Friday night football game.

Sylacauga Police confirm a fight stemming from that attack broke out at the school at lunch today.

We’ve been working all day to get more information on the assault that led 17-year-old Brian Ogle to be hospitalized after being transported by lifeflight to UAB with critical injuries. Police say it happened over a fight when a group of students wore “Black Lives Matter’ t-shirts on Patriotic Day during homecoming week.

Ogle’s mother tells us her son was pro-police and became a target for his views.

A large group of students cornered him in a parking lot Friday night and assaulted him, causing skull fractures and internal bleeding.

“We do have a lot of names that are coming to us that some of the kids recognize that were there. And there’s more than one. There’s gonna be less than 60 I’m sure. We know there are multiple assailants. And we’re gonna do everything that we can to get them picked up,” Sylacauga Police Chief Kelley Johnson said.

Johnson says the fight at the school Monday was minor, and the victim was not injured. It happened where there was no supervision.

We’ve spoken to some parents, who say they are frustrated about the school system’s lack of communication with them and students. The principal of Sylacauga High School said he couldn’t talk to us today.

The superintendent of the school system released the following statement:

This afternoon I was made aware of an incident on the campus of Sylacauga High School. I am investigating this incident and will take appropriate disciplinary action based on the findings. This past week we have experienced some difficult days in our schools and community. Last Wednesday security was increased at the high school and a lockdown was implemented in response to a verbal altercation among students the day before. There were no further incidents the remainder of the school week until the police were called to respond to an off-campus crime in which one of our high school students was seriously injured. This crime is still under investigation by the Sylacauga Police Department. “Moving forward, we will continue to strengthen security on campus and I will use the full measure of my authority to maintain a safe environment for our students. Those who violate school rules and create a disturbance on campus will be subject to disciplinary action, including and up to expulsion. I expect every student that attends our schools to conduct themselves in an appropriate manner that includes respect for themselves and their fellow students.”