Source: Jetta Productions / Getty
I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m tired of hearing about excessive force used against African American men, women and children, and sadly things are getting worse..
Yesterday in Columbia, SC, in what’s being labeled at the “Assault At Spring Valley,” a black female student was aggressively attacked by a white cop during class after refusing to leave. His reaction was severe, excessive and unwanted.
Classmates are saying that the officer was called to the class over the student’s cell phone usage, and when she wouldn’t get up when asked by Deputy Ben Fields, he grabbed her, flipped over her desk, and dragged her away on the floor like a ragdoll.
Regardless of what words the student said to the officer, this excessively attack on a female student is unacceptable.
Take a look at the videos for yourself and additional details below.
https://twitter.com/ShaunKing/status/658831749657571328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
What we know:
A history of violence:
Fields, an 11-year veteran of Richland County Sheriff’s Office, has been a resource officer with Spring Valley High School since 2008.
He has been named in at least two lawsuits during his time with the sheriff’s office, including a case accusing him of racial bias. That case is expected to go to trial next year. The school has 2,010 students and is predominantly African-American.
Parents with the Richland Two Black Parents Association were not surprised by the leaked videos and believe it only confirms years of misconduct alleged by students.
Fields has been placed on administrative leave pending the investigation.
All this over a smartphone?
The teacher spied the black high school senior using her phone in math class and demanded she hand it over and get out of her chair. The teen refused to do so, even as the teacher and a school administrator kept asking, studentTony Robinson Jr., told WLTX-TVMonday night.
The tackled teen has not been identified, but her defiance launched nationwide outrage when video of the violent encounter with Fields, who is white, went viral.
“She really hadn’t done anything wrong,” Robinson said. “She said she took her phone out, but it was only for a quick second.”
