A former substitute teacher has been acquitted of battery charges in a 2022 Waukegan classroom fight with an eighth-grader.
A Lake County jury found Lamont Bankston, 51, not guilty Wednesday after deliberating for about two hours, Bankston’s attorney Elliot Pinsel said Friday in an email. He declined further comment.
Lake County prosecutors also declined comment.
Bankston was charged after an Oct. 25, 2022, altercation in a science classroom at Jack Benny Middle School.
Part of the fight was videotaped by a student, and jurors viewed the recording during the trial. In it, Bankston and the student were in a corner of the classroom, with the teacher seen throwing several punches. The student tried to punch back, but eventually covered up and Bankston grabbed him and threw him into a desk and then into the hallway.
There was conflicting testimony at trial over what precipitated the fight, and who threw the first punch. The student testified Tuesday that he and a classmate had gotten into an argument, and that he and Bankston scuffled after Bankston walked over to him to stop the argument.
Both the teacher and student were injured; the youth ended up with a broken finger and laceration that required stitches. Bankston broke his ankle.
Pinsel told jurors in his opening statement Tuesday that Bankston acted in self-defense. The teacher could not have known whether the student had a weapon, and Bankston said the student had made a threat indicating that the teacher would or should be shot, Pinsel said.
Based on what Bankston knew at the time, his actions were justified, the attorney said.
Officer of the Year
Zion Police Officer Steve Vines has been named the winner of the 2024 Lee J. Fischer Police Officer of the Year award.
The honor, which is presented by the Zion-Benton Kiwanis Club, was given in recognition of Vines’ work in the community and as a school resource officer for the Zion Elementary School district.
“Throughout his career, Officer Vines has always been dedicated and reliable to his duties as a police officer,” Zion PD said in a social media post. “He has always responded at a moment’s notice, been the first to participate in and/or organize community and recruiting events, and conducted peer support and mentoring of other officers. His contributions, dedication and reliability throughout his career are immeasurable.”
Vines, a U.S. Army and Iraq war veteran, has served 16 years at Zion. The Zion native is in his third year as a school resource officer, and in that role has positively affected the lives of many students, ZPD said.
Training completed
The director of Lake County’s Gun Violence Prevention Initiative recently completed a training program aimed at improving leadership and further reducing bloodshed.
Tierra Lemon took part this month in a Los Angeles graduation ceremony for the University of Chicago Crime Lab Community Violence Intervention and Leadership Academy (CVILA).
Lemon’s graduation from the CVILA program represented the culmination of five months of training aimed at improving organizations that combat gun violence.
“As the GVPI Director, my main goal is to prevent gun violence in Lake County and the CVILA has given me the right tools to strengthen our efforts in addressing trauma, lack of services, and other root causes of gun violence,” Lemon said.
The GVPI is an initiative of the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office. State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart lauded Lemon’s work.
“She and the GVPI are saving lives,” he said “Gun violence is down in Lake County partially because of the comprehensive work of the GVPI and its members.”