The video below has caused a public outcry after a South Carolina school resource officer identified as Richland County Sheriff’s Department Senior Deputy Ben Fields is shown tossing a female high school student to the floor and dragging her from a classroom after she refused to get up and leave with him. Fields has been placed on paid administrative leave.
Fields, shown right from a Twitter photo, was reportedly called in because the student would not get off her cellphone or leave the class as instructed. The 15-second video shows Fields asking the student “Are You Coming With Me or am I Going to Make You? Come on. I’m going to get you up.” What follows is the scuffle where the student ends up on the floor and being pulled by Fields. Fields is heard saying “I’ll put you in jail next.”
The site Heavy has reported that Fields in the subject of a lawsuit alleging violations of the civil rights of a student at Spring Valley High School. The student, Ashton James Reese, was expelled in 2013 from the high school for “unlawful assembly of gang activity and assault and battery” and was also accused of participating in a “gang related” fight in a Walmart parking lot near the school. In the lawsuit, he is accused of “recklessly target[ing] African-American students with allegations of gang membership and criminal gang activity.”
The Columbia mayor has denounced Fields and said “We cannot and will not accept this kind of behavior from any law enforcement officer and I firmly believe that we need an independent investigation to get to the bottom of this incident and see that justice is done.”
Given that this was all about cellphone use, is there any justification for this level of force in your view?
Well, at least he isn’t calling you an “idiot”. 😆
The Sheriff has his opinion, the other two investigations are not complete, it would be prudent to wait and see what the two other investigations come up with, if they even address her arm going upwards as she was being tipped backwards. She was sitting motionless until she was violently tipped backwards.
Max-1, Are you calling me a “boot licker”?
Annie, What are you referring to when you say “their training”? Is this something you’re familiar with, or is it just some phrase that you learned? Have you ever heard of the “Use of Force Continuum”? If so, and knowing that to be part of the officer’s training; how do the deputy’s actions violate the Use of Force Continuum?
Airdog supports assaulting young black females that sit passively in their seats.
Jack,
When you’re a boot licker, you don’t see their victim…
Max-1 – the victims here are the students whose class was disrupted
Cops are finally starting to be held to the standard they always should’ve been held to and obviously it’s not sitting well with some. LEOs should not only NOT be above the law, they should conduct themselves professionally and according to their training.
Make that: Oh, poor boys and girls…
Airdog,
Be honest. When was the last time you were in high school?
Me? Graduated in 1983. Police in schools were not a ting back then.
Ever hear of the school to prison pipeline?You’re supporting it now.
The thug in that classroom was NOT the female student passively resisting an adults orders.
The thug in the room was the police officer. Period! And you’re defending the thuggish behavior of an out of control police officer… Pity the fool, NO?
You’re gonna be waiting a long time, Jack and Aridog.
I have no need or desire to engage with you.
Can’t figure it out for yourselves? Oh, poor boys…
Aridog:
An event like that leaves a stink in the air; not a lot of learning is taking place after an disruption like that.
I think the classroom will be better off without her, but it doesn’t excuse the fact that the cop used too much brawn and failed to manage the situation.
BTW: They could’ve let her play her little game and then suspended until she agreed to leave her phone in her locker.
How the heck did I and my fellow nurses deal with violent patients without assaulting them? We had an extraction team that did not ever need to resort to the level of violence this deputy used on this girl who was snotty and uncooperative. Our patients were extremely violent in one state facility I worked in for several years of my 35 years of nursing.
Inga – I have known of schools that have teams of very strong male teachers who would have been called to carry this young lady out. However, this school relies on its resource officer.
Better ways, as I’ve said. I’ll leave it to those who can’t see it, to try to figure it out for themselves. Or better, yet, educate yourselves. Try a TCI course, maybe:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Therapeutic_Crisis_Intervention
I’ve seen too many law enforcement officers who opt for the “brawn over brain” approach.
Anon … so apparently you think it is okay to punch a uniformed officer when resisting his directions? No idea where you live but I strongly suggest you not try that stuff here in Detroit.
BTW…still waiting for your “better way” details. Coming soon, right?
Annie, “The three videos still do not clearly show if she punched him or instead if threw up her arm involuntarily as he tipped her over backwards.”
The Sheriff even admits that she punched the officer. Your refusal to admit what is shown in the video has no bearing on the demonstrated facts.
anon; “And he likely wouldn’t have been punched, if he hadn’t been trying to forcibly remove her from her chair.”
Okay, Genius, When a student is asked to leave the classroom, first by the teacher, and then by a police officer, are they supposed to just look at each other and say “She won’t leave. I guess we better shit down the class. Because we can’t use force to make her leave.: ???
We’re all still waiting for you to present a viable alternative.
The three videos still do not clearly show if she punched him or instead if threw up her arm involuntarily as he tipped her over backwards.
Aridog:
1) Send in a female officer
2) The male officer could have:
a) Wrested the phone away
b) Applied a finger lock or a wrist lock
c) My favorite- grabbed her by the earlobe
d) Dragged the desk, sliding it out the door
e) Called for assistance and lifted the girl, desk and all, and carried her out of the room.
3) School officials could have called the parents in and let them take her home.
Hall – none of your solutions are viable. It is clear you have never been in a classroom except as a student,
Bejesus….the problem was solved [“managed”], the snotty chick was removed. Class went on…undisturbed I presume. I assure you had I acted like that girl in a similar grade I’d have been afraid to go home and explain my self. Times have changed I guess…today you just mouth off and no one kicks your butt. That’s not been working out too well has it?
“He was punched while trying to remove her from her chair.”
And he likely wouldn’t have been punched, if he hadn’t been trying to forcibly remove her from her chair.