A Columbia River High School student who struck a fellow student in the head with an extendable baton was sentenced Wednesday to three years imprisonment.
As part of a plea agreement, Christopher G. Philbrook, 17, pleaded guilty in Clark County Superior Court to second-degree assault with a deadly weapon. He initially faced a charge of first-degree assault. In exchange, Philbrook will serve a longer-than-normal sentence — the standard range is 15 to 24 months.
The Vancouver teen attacked another male student at the Hazel Dell-area school Feb. 11. He was charged as an adult based on his age and the nature of the crime; first-degree assault carries an automatic remand to adult court. However, because Philbrook pleaded to the less serious charge, the attorneys worked out a deal to keep his case in adult court, on the condition that he serve his sentence in a juvenile facility.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Philbrook and another 17-year-old boy got into an altercation at the school. A 16-year-old girl who witnessed the attack told the school resource officer that she and Philbrook used to date.
The girl said they broke up in January, and she started dating the victim. She and the victim were standing in the hall during lunch, she said, when Philbrook confronted them about dating. He reportedly said, “I’m gonna come back and kill you!” the affidavit states.
Philbrook walked away but then reached into his pocket and pulled out the metal baton. He struck the boy in the head several times, court records said.
The victim said he put up his hands to defend himself and was injured. He was taken to a hospital for injuries that were not life-threatening, according to the Clark County Sheriff’s Office.
The incident was captured on video surveillance footage and matched the accounts given by the former girlfriend and victim, according to court documents.
Philbrook tossed the weapon in a nearby ravine, and it was later found in the underbrush by volunteers from local search-and-rescue organizations, the sheriff’s office said.
During the hearing, Philbrook apologized and said his actions really had nothing to do with the victim. He said he hopes the other teen can forgive him but said he doesn’t expect him to. “I won’t hold it against him,” Philbrook said.
Judge David Gregerson agreed to follow the attorneys’ recommendation of 36 months in a juvenile facility, 18 months of community custody and no contact with the victim or his family. Philbrook was given credit for 258 days in custody.
