OAKLAND, Calif. – A former Oakland school employee who beat a handcuffed disabled student in a wheelchair was convicted of felony assault and could face up to four years in prison.

Jurors acquitted Marchell Mitchell, 24, of several felony charges but returned a guilty verdict on a single felony count of assault Tuesday, when he was hauled off to jail to await sentencing, SFBay.com reports.

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Mitchell was a security guard at Oakland High School when he was recorded on school surveillance cameras in an altercation on May 19, 2014 with student Francisco Martinez, who was 17 years old at the time. Martinez uses a wheelchair because he suffers from cerebral palsy and is known in the school as a troublemaker, according to ABC News.

Martinez told the court Mitchell handcuffed him and eventually dumped him out of his wheelchair and punched him four times during the scuffle. Mitchell said the student threatened to kill him, and was actively resisting his efforts to get Martinez to class.

Mitchell also alleged “Martinez is a gang member who was one of the most unruly students at the school,” SFBay.com reports.

Students at Oakland High seem to agree. Shortly after Mitchell’s arrest and termination, students circulated a petition calling for the guard’s reinstatement, though school officials made it clear at the time that’s not going to happen.

Video of the altercation shows Martinez argued with Mitchell, slapped his hand away when Mitchell attempted to push him to class, and spit on him. Students also allege Martinez routinely ran over their toes with his wheelchair, ABC News reports.

But district spokesman Troy Flint told the site there’s absolutely no justification for striking a student, and no amount of student signatures will bring Mitchell back.

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“There are some students that like (the guard) and were sympathetic,” Flint said. “I think part of the response stems from the fact that many of the students view the attack as a peer to peer situation and they are thinking about what they would have done in that situation.”

Those students, however, are “overlooking the fact that the security guard is both an adult and a school employee with higher responsibility,” he said.

Nabiel Ahmed, Mitchell’s attorney, told SFBay he was disappointed his client was not acquitted of all charges, but “respects” the jury’s decision.

Mitchell could now face up to four years in prison, nearly half the potential sentence had he been convicted on all counts, Ahmed said.

He’s expected back in court today to set a sentencing date, according to media reports.

Martinez’ family filed a lawsuit against the Oakland school district after the incident, alleging excessive force, and recently received an undisclosed settlement.

The San Jose Mercury News reports that second guard, Shalandra Cotton, was also involved in an altercation with Martinez the same day as the teen’s scuffle with Mitchell. A video, captured just minutes before the altercation with Mitchell, shows Cotton touched the student during an argument and Martinez slapped her hands away.

Cotton was placed on leaving during a district investigation, the results of which remain unclear.