Oklahoma student describes school fight the day before their death in new video

An Oklahoma student who died the day after a fight at school told police they threw water at three students who had been bullying them and that the students responded by beating them, according to video police released Friday.

The student who died, Nex Benedict, is seen in the video telling an officer that they didn’t know the three students who “jumped” them in the bathroom.

Police also released audio of a 911 call from Nex’s mother in which she said the 16-year-old’s breathing was shallow and their hands were “posturing,” which refers to an involuntary movement that can indicate abnormal brain activity.

The video offers a glimpse into the moments before Nex’s death on Feb. 8, which has prompted vigils across the country, thousands of social media posts and demands for justice from LGBTQ people, some of whom believe that Oklahoma’s anti-LGBTQ policies contributed to an unsafe school climate for students like Nex.

There have been more questions than answers in Nex’s case, including whether the fight caused the student’s death, why the school didn’t contact police following the fight, and even how Nex identified within the LGBTQ community.

Sue Benedict, Nex’s mother, told The Independent that Nex “did not see themselves as male or female. Nex saw themselves right down the middle.” The family continues to use they/them pronouns for Nex in statements.

The Owasso Police Department said in a statement Wednesday that preliminary information from an autopsy report shows that Nex’s death was not the result of trauma. A toxicology exam is still pending, and an official autopsy will be released later.

Police released a series of videos Friday that show the entrance of the school bathroom in the minutes leading up to and following