A South Carolina school resource officer is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation after he was caught on tape violently flipping and dragging a female student out of her classroom chair.
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At least two videos shot by students show the dramatic scene Monday inside a math classroom at Spring Valley High School.
Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott openly admitted the video involving his officer looks “disturbing” and added his department plans to fully cooperate with both investigations. The incident was captured on cellphones by several students. That’s supposed to be someone that’s going to protect us. “So that was my first judgment call; is get your phone out so that everything after this is recorded”. Another female student, Niya Kenny, faces the same charge after allegedly standing up for the other teenager, her mother, Doris Ballard told CNN.
“I was screaming ‘What the f, what the f is this really happening?’ I was praying out loud for the girl”, Kenny told WLTX. They got her out of the classroom. And she said, “I don’t even know who you are”, I believe you can hear that in the tape.
The incident in South Carolina calls to mind a similar one earlier this month, when a school resource officer in Texas was caught on tape grabbing a 14-year-old boy’s throat and slamming him to the ground after the student and another boy were involved in a scuffle in a high school cafeteria. She’s in elementary about to go into middle school.
The school website lists Fields as the football team’s defensive line coach and strength and conditioning coach. The suit, still pending, was brought by a former Spring Valley student who was expelled after a fight near the school.
Randolph was also asked about how he felt the deputy should have responded. “These assignments are geographical so as to provide the most rapid response by SROs”.
“Cops are at a school in the event a crime is being committed”, he said. “In doing so, the closest on-duty deputy would be dispatched in addition to the SROs”.
“He has questions like everyone has – and he wants answers”, the department spokesman said. “The Sheriff is asking for everyone to be patient as this is being fully investigated”. The District will not tolerate any actions that jeopardize the safety of our students. “The Sheriff fully understands the seriousness of this incident”.
James Manning, chairman of the board of trustees for Richland School District Two, said he was alarmed by what he saw.
“Student safety is and always will be the district’s top priority”, Hamm said.
“I think sometimes our officers are put in uncomfortable positions when a teacher can’t control a student”, the sheriff said, promising to be fair.
Fields has since been banned from the district by Richland School District Two officials and put on unpaid leave.
Randolph says the group has reached out to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for an investigation and is happy to see that the Justice Department is looking into the arrest.
Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin said he found the incident “wholly unacceptable”.
Robinson says it was a scary experience and there was no “justifiable reason” for the officer’s actions. “Was it my daughter or the officer who came in to the classroom and did that to the young girl?”
Fields is on administrative leave, and is now not working in any capacity for the department.
The video shows shows Senior Richland County Deputy Ben Fields approach the female student, who was seated in a desk, place his left hand on her left arm, and then his right arm around her neck.
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This second video was sent to us a short time later.
