Defense Attorney Argues Against Pretrial Detention for High School Student Charged with Stabbing

The attorney for 19-year-old David Teague, who was arrested in October 2025 for stabbing another student at Santa Fe High School, argued against his client's pretrial detention and shared information on video evidence he received, court documents show.

Teague faces charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, possession of a weapon on school property, and interfering with an educational institution. He remains in jail today ineligible for release on bond.

On March 26, 2026, Criminal Defense Attorney John Whitaker made a motion on Teague’s behalf to make him eligible for release on bond.

In the motion, Whitaker regards surveillance footage he received of the incident, which he describes as follows: 

The video received in discovery was surveillance video from Santa Fe Highschool which clearly shows that the Defendant was alone, propped up against the railing, and appeared to be looking down at his phone when the alleged victim came from around the corner with something in his hand and began an animated conversation directed at the Defendant. Defendant stood up off the railing and backed away from the alleged victim to create distance. After a few moments of this animated conversation, Defendant attempted to run past and away from the alleged victim through an opening in the railing, but the alleged victim struck Defendant with what appears to be a cup of liquid. It is now clear from the discovery received after the hearing that the alleged victim had accepted a bounty of $20 to batter the Defendant. Only after this battery did Defendant turn around and attempt to use his backpack in self-defense before a further physical altercation occurred in which the much larger victim turned the Defendant away from him and punched him multiple times in the back of the head. During the altercation and after several blows to the head, the Defendant appears to remove something from his front pants pocket and strikes the alleged victim twice in the left lower back area…

Because a knife was involved and there were visible injuries, the alleged victim was transported to the hospital on a trauma alert. The alleged victim was discharged from the hospital the same day before 7pm with diagnosis of superficial injuries, the most significant having a depth of 3 millimeters. There was no penetration into pararenal space or any penetration into the retroperitoneum and thus no ‘near miss’ to any vital organ.

Additionally, Defendant has also undergone a comprehensive psychological evaluation that addresses difficulties he has faced but most importantly his ‘decided lack of characteristics that are correlated with chronic violence,’ and lack of danger to the community. A confidential copy of the evaluation will be provided to the Court and to the State prior to the hearing.”

Judge Robert Groeb denied the motion earlier this month.