Two Indiana parents, Donquarious Ridley, 27, and Raven Barner, 25, were apprehended after allegedly assaulting several children on a school bus. The couple was charged on Monday with two counts of battery on a child under the age of 14. Ridley faces an additional charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
The incident occurred on the morning of October 31 at an apartment complex in Greenwood. Witnesses reported seeing Ridley and Barner board a school bus and begin shouting at the children onboard. According to one child’s account, the couple was upset because they believed their son was being bullied.
Barner, the boy’s stepmother, was reportedly the instigator of a verbal confrontation with two children. She threatened one child with physical violence and suggested her stepson would also attack him. Video footage from the bus confirmed these allegations, showing Barner encouraging her stepson to engage in a physical altercation.
The situation escalated when the bus driver intervened, placing herself between Barner and one of the children. Barner allegedly struck two children, one unintentionally. Ridley was also seen on the video instructing his son to engage with the boy Barner had hit. Ridley’s son complied, and Ridley allegedly threw the boy to the ground, enabling his son to strike the boy repeatedly. Ridley then reportedly shoved another child into a bus seat with enough force to hit the side of the bus.
Police located Ridley and Barner while they were driving and initiated a traffic stop. Both parents were arrested and taken to the Johnson County Jail. Ridley was charged with two counts of battery on a child under the age of 14 and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Barner was charged with two counts of battery on a child under the age of 14. As of Tuesday, neither parent was listed on the Johnson County Jail roster.
Ridley is set to appear in court on December 1, while Barner’s court date is scheduled for December 4.