Students demonstrated outside Helix Charter High School in La Mesa, California on Monday, after video circulated of a school police officer slamming a female student to the ground.
The exact circumstances surrounding the incident are unknown. The student in question was suspended at the time, and it’s unclear why she was on school grounds. Lt. Chad Bell told local NBC7 that school officials called the officer, who asked her twice to leave, then tried to bring her to the school office. Bell said that the 17-year-old girl then tried to get away, at which point the officer took her down “to prevent the student from escaping.”
The student was taken to the precinct in a police vehicle and treated for minor scrapes, according to Bell.
Police are currently investigating the incident, and students are calling for the officer’s termination.
“We demand that the officer be removed from his position as school resources officer,” senior Leah Blake told the local news outlet.
Kevin Osborn, Executive Director of Helix Charter High School, said in a statement:
We want to assure the community that actions taken by the School are guided by what is lawful and in the best interests of Helix Charter High School students, staff, and school community.
A woman claiming to be a spokesperson for the girl’s family said that her parents will meet with school officials and lawyers to discuss the matter.
[Image via screengrab]
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