Sheriff's deputy fired for viciously body slamming middle school student twice in hallway

A sheriff's deputy in Vance County, North Carolina, was fired Monday after security camera footage from a middle school showed him picking up a student and slamming him to the ground twice before dragging him down the hallway, according to WNCN-TV.

 

The deputy, who has not been identified, worked as one of two school resource officers at the school. After the video became public last week, he was placed on leave as the State Bureau of Investigations conducted an inquiry.

"We went over and when we first saw the video, we were stunned, we were shocked," said Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame. "We all are parents and grandparents that have children at that same age, so it brought some great concern to us."

Video shows the officer walking down the hallway with a student beside him. The officer abruptly lifts the student fully into the air and slams him to the ground. He then repeats the action before dragging the student off camera.

The student's injury status is currently unknown. His sister told WNCN that her brother would eventually be fine, and his father said he was recovering. The severity of his injuries will determine whether or not criminal charges are filed against the officer, according to the district attorney.

The American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina criticized the apparent involvement of a law enforcement officer in a disciplinary manner.

"This type of heartbreaking incident is all too common as educators increasingly rely on law enforcement to handle routine disciplinary issues, especially with children of color and children with disabilities," said Irene Como, acting director of the ACLU of North Carolina. "School Resource Officers are charged with protecting students, but they use physical force and escalate situations to the detriment of students. School Resource Officers should never handle disciplinary issues, which are more appropriately addressed by school counselors or mental health professionals, and the routine presence of police in schools should end."