Lott also said that he doesn’t believe the incident was motivated by racism, pointing out that deputy Ben Fields has been romantically involved with a black woman for “quite a few time”.
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The sheriff said there are three separate videos of this incident and that one shows the girl punching the deputy, but says he is not looking at her actions, rather that of his deputy. “It shows the officer as he puts his hands on her, her punching him”.
Still, after watching all the footage, Lott told reporters that he “wanted to throw up”.
The USA justice department has said it is investigating why a female pupil was pulled from her desk by an officer and dragged across a classroom in South Carolina, according to worldwide reports. The desk tips over and the student crashes onto the floor.
“To be thrown out of her seat as she was thrown, and dumped on the floor …”
According to Richland County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Curtis Wilson, deputies have to use discretion with each case regardless of age. “She said she really hadn’t done anything wrong”. “She may have a rug burn or something like that, but she was not injured”.
“She’s a quiet girl”. Both girls were charged with disturbing school and released.
“If that was my daughter… that officer being fired would be the least of his worries”, Conwell said. The girl refused, so the teacher called an administrator, who called Fields.
Witnesses say that teen was asked several times to leave the classroom but refused. He grabs her arm and puts his arm around her neck at first. Experts say lines have blurred since then, as administrators summon in-house police officers to implement routine discipline. “She said she took her phone out, but it was only for a quick second, you know, please, she was begging, apologetic”.
“When he came in the classroom, I immediately told my classmates, ‘Get your phones out, get your phones out”.
The female student in the video as well as a second student was arrested for “contributing to the chaos”, Lott added.
USA federal authorities said Tuesday they are investigating whether a deputy’s arrest of a student who refused to leave her high school math class violated federal civil rights laws. “We are working closely and in full cooperation with the Richland County Sheriff’s Department to conduct a thorough and complete investigation”. Lott stated that his agency will fully cooperate with federal agencies in the probe, and he wants to make sure there’s no question in the community about a conflict of interest. Fields is now on unpaid leave.
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Jackson told The Associated Press on Tuesday that he thinks the officer involved should face charges and lose his job.
