Twitter blew up yesterday as a video went viral showing a school resource officer at Spring Valley High School in Columbia, SC violently arresting a female student.
Here’s what we know as of this morning…
First up, here’s the video of the first student getting arrested ICYMI yesterday:
https://twitter.com/ShaunKing/status/658831749657571328
That’s pretty hard to watch. The officer was allegedly called to class over a cellphone:
Students claim officer's brutal takedown of Spring Valley student was over phone use. https://t.co/YupDVLKjKu pic.twitter.com/6M53gDkXd5
— New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) October 27, 2015
A Second student named Niya Kenny, who left her seat to question why the first student was being arrested, was arrested herself and charged with “disturbing school.”
Ms. Kenny explained in an interview with WLTX that the student getting arrested was first asked to leave class by the teacher. When the student didn’t leave, an administrator was called. And when the student still refused to exit the classroom, the school resource office was called in:
Good for #NiyaKenny for standing up for her classmate. I hope my kids do the same #AssaultAtSpringValleyHigh https://t.co/jb6HjseJar
— Vasiliki ♊ (@vickski23) October 27, 2015
Some are questioning the teacher’s actions during the arrest and wonder why he asked her to leave class in the first place:
I just needed to hear him at least say "Hey, that's not necessary." Something. https://t.co/NW4NMvYtyg
— jamilah lemieux (@JamilahLemieux) October 27, 2015
https://twitter.com/Mis_Lexis/status/658996115812065280
If there is that much fear for him on the part of the teachers, I wonder how/why he was called in https://t.co/eBqB79MmSs
— jamilah lemieux (@JamilahLemieux) October 27, 2015
When I see a black male adult, especially a teacher, I'd like to assume that the protection of black children matters to him
— jamilah lemieux (@JamilahLemieux) October 27, 2015
…so no, I don't give the teacher most of the blame. But he is the one who defied my expectations, not the officer. The cop went cop.
— jamilah lemieux (@JamilahLemieux) October 27, 2015
“Give me your phone.” “No.” “Report for detention tomorrow morning.” https://t.co/Kjp4yZ50GL
— Jamelle Bouie (@jbouie) October 27, 2015
https://twitter.com/goldietaylor/status/658998858958163968
https://twitter.com/goldietaylor/status/658999623063896064
https://twitter.com/goldietaylor/status/659000112631455746
https://twitter.com/goldietaylor/status/659000330835873792
https://twitter.com/goldietaylor/status/659000742779465728
The school resource officer has been identified as Sheriff’s Deputy Ben Fields:
Deputy Ben Fields: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know #AssaultAtSpringValleyHigh. https://t.co/NmY1WzAOQ9
— deray mckesson (@deray) October 26, 2015
And an army veteran is speaking out about his encounter with Fields:
The same cop in #AssaultAtSpringValleyHigh "Army vet recalls rough encounter with S.C. cop" https://t.co/PY70Puy5XL
— Matt McGorry (@MattMcGorry) October 27, 2015
The Sheriff’s department has asked for a federal review of what happened:
Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott says he’s asked the FBI to investigate an incident involving a school resource officer at Spring Valley High School.
Monday night Lott called the Special Agent in charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigations for South Carolina, Dave Thomas, to request an independent investigation of the incident. Tuesday morning the Sheriff followed up with a formal written request to U.S. Attorney William Nettles and Thomas for the US Justice Department asking for a formal investigation.
Richland School District 2 school officials have banned the officer from the district in response to a video supposedly taken at Spring Valley High School showing the officer slamming and dragging a student from her desk.
Deputy Fields has been placed on leave pending an investigation:
Spring Valley High School's Ben Fields placed on leave following this violent incident against a young student https://t.co/6e0A4bUSVg
— NowThis (@nowthisnews) October 27, 2015
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