Second arrest in teen beating
Lisa Roberson
Injured EHS athlete describes attack
ELYRIA — Police have arrested a second man in connection with the brutal beating of a teenager who was attacked after being the target of a racial slur.
Kenneth Tackett II, 18, of Grafton, turned himself in to police Thursday afternoon after learning a warrant charging him with felonious assault had been issued.
The charge stems from the Sept. 21 beating of Travis Noble, 17, of Elyria, that left him with his jawbone broken on both sides of his face, a split top lip and multiple cuts and bruises.
 |
| BRUCE BISHOP/CHRONICLE |
| Travis Noble, 17, shows his injuries suffered when he was attacked last Friday in Elyria. |
James Machovina, 21, of Elyria, also was charged with felonious assault in connection with the attack. Police did not file charges against the pair alleging a hate crime but said such a charge could be considered when the case is presented to a county grand jury.
Police said Machovina and Tackett, both of whom are white, attacked Travis on the city’s north side near the home of Travis’ 16-year-old girlfriend. Travis, who is black, told police they made a racially derogatory comment to him, and he ran after them before deciding to back off. He was attacked when he turned to walk away, police said.
It was Tackett who yelled the racial slur, and Tackett delivered a devastating kick to Travis’ face that knocked him unconscious, police said.
At the time of the attack, Tackett also was wanted on a warrant issued by county Juvenile Court for assault, a police report said. He was being held in the city jail and was scheduled to appear today in Elyria Municipal Court, where a bond will be set.
Travis spoke out about the incident Thursday — saying the word he was called is filled with so much hate, discrimination and years of oppression that he doesn’t use it. He also doesn’t like his friends or family to use it, either, he said.
“When I heard that word, all I felt was anger,” he said in a barely audible voice because doctors wired his mouth shut to allow it to heal. “I took off after the guys because I couldn’t believe they just called me a (n-word). But then I realized it just wasn’t worth my time.”
He said Tackett wasn’t joking when he said it.
“When he said it, there was a stare and an angry face,’’ Travis said. “You can tell he really meant it.”
Travis said when he turned to leave, he was pummeled to the ground, kicked, stomped and punched. With each blow, he said he felt nothing but hatred. Not for his assailants, he said, but for the fact that he still lives in a world where people use the word to hurt others.
“I’ve never had it said to me like that before,” he said.
“It’s not a word that we use in this family because it’s no longer in our culture,” added his aunt, Shelle Mathis. “We know the history and just feel better not bringing that kind of past into our lives.”
Travis, whose family and friends describe as a good kid with a kind heart, said he does not wish ill upon his attackers. Justice needs to be served, he said, but he wonders if jail is appropriate.
“I’m just not a mean person. I don’t know if I want them to go to jail,” he said. “It would be nice if their families apologized so I would at least know they know what their sons did. I don’t know if I want to hear it from them.”
Travis is also determined not to let the incident derail his future plans.
He is on both the football and basketball teams at Elyria High School and hopes to follow in the footsteps of his older brother, Danny Noble, by receiving an athletic scholarship to college.Despite being urged by doctors to stay home for another couple weeks, Travis said he plans to return to school Monday. He has a 3.5 grade-point average and doesn’t plan to let his grades slip.
The incident has attracted the attention of the National Action Network, the national civil rights organization headed by the Rev. Al Sharpton, but Travis said he doesn’t want the spotlight.
“I don’t want to constantly talk about it,” he said. “It’s bad enough it was said in the first place.”
Contact Lisa Roberson at 653-6268 or lroberson@chroniclet.com.
|
| ||
 |
Filed by Lisa Roberson September 28th, 2007 in Top Stories.
|
 Print this story
Read comments and discuss this story
Report an innappropriate comment
|
In order to comment, you must agree to our user agreement
and discussion guidelines.
You must be registered and logged in to post a comment. If you aren't already registered, click here. If you are registered, click here to log in.
Type your comment here.
Look at this !!!!
(Report comment)