Local authorities and school officials are investigating a physical confrontation between a student and a school resource officer at Spring Valley High School near Columbia, South Carolina.
In the video, the officer is seen trying to physically remove the student from her desk in a manner which causes the desk to flip over with her in it. Once the desk is on the ground, the officer drags the student away from it and appears to toss her toward the front of the classroom.
Wtf... #AssaultAtSpringValleyHigh I'm disgusted pic.twitter.com/T1JRdTN4aM— Jimmy Paradise (@HIFTBABG) October 27, 2015
While a short clip of the confrontation was spreading across social media, local news station WIS posted a 90-second version.
wistv.com - Columbia, South Carolina
Students and teachers sat quietly by while the incident unfolded.
Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott told local media that the incident began when the student, who was reported by her teacher as being disruptive, refused to leave the classroom. After the student refused an administrator's request to leave, the school resource officer was beckoned and the confrontation ensued.
Sheriff Lott told WIS, "The student was told she was under arrest for disturbing school and given instructions which she again refused. The video then shows the student resisting and being arrested by the SRO."
Richland School District Two Superintendent Debbie Hamm released a statement saying the district is "deeply concerned" about the incident and is teaming with the sheriff's department for a full investigation.
@RichlandTwo Just Released a New Statement after incident at @SV_Vikings https://t.co/hW9EIevaKM pic.twitter.com/yPkqMT8Y1N— Megan Rivers (@MegMRivers) October 26, 2015
On Monday evening, at a press conference, the officer was identified by sheriff's officials as Ben Fields. They announced he has been placed on administrative leave pending further review.
@cwilson_275 w/ @RCSD says SRO Ben Fields has been placed on administrative leave @WLTX— Megan Rivers (@MegMRivers) October 26, 2015
The Sheriff's department also said that no injuries were sustained by either party in the incident.
Despite dramatic video, @RCSD reports no injuries after incident at Spring Valley High School. #sctweets #wis10 #BREAKING— Chad Mills (@ChadMillsWIS) October 26, 2015
A local organization named the Richland Two Black Parents Association told WIS: "Parents are heartbroken as this is just another example of the intolerance that continues to be of issue in Richland School District Two particularly with families and children of color."
According to the school's reporting [PDF], the school is 52% African-American and 30 percent white.
Mashable has contacted to the Richland County Sheriff's Department, the Richland Two Black Parents Association, and the Richland Two School District for comment and will update when those comments become available.
According to the New York Daily News and journalist Shaun King, multiple students have claimed that Fields has exhibited intimidating behavior in the past. Fields was also named in a still-pending lawsuit filed in 2014 accusing him of unfairly targeting black students.
21 students/graduates and 3 employees of Spring Valley High School have told me that Officer Ben Fields has frightened them for YEARS.— Shaun King (@ShaunKing) October 27, 2015
2014 lawsuit against Officer Ben Fields stating he unfairly targets Black students & parents https://t.co/IY428UU2i4 pic.twitter.com/xe9xcLx2pr— Shaun King (@ShaunKing) October 26, 2015
One of the students who captured the incident on video, Tony Robinson Jr., spoke to WLTX and told the station of the girl, "She really hadn't done anything wrong."
Robinson, noting "there was no justifiable reason" for Fields' actions, said, "I've never seen anything so nasty looking, so sick to the point that you know, other students are turning away, don't know what to do, and are just scared for their lives. That's supposed to be somebody that's going to protect us. Not somebody that we need to be scare off, or afraid."
Meanwhile, another student in the class took to Twitter to share what happened in the classroom.
The girl in the video was new to our class, and she was quiet like she never talked to anyone— Aaron Johnson (@Aaron___J) October 26, 2015
@DianaChhun @Ace_doe i think we were all in shock and afraid they would say something to us, he put another girl in handcuffs for standingup— Aaron Johnson (@Aaron___J) October 26, 2015
@PathsofBliss this happened at spring valley high school, mr longs room. When i asked mr long if he felt bad for what happened to her..— Aaron Johnson (@Aaron___J) October 26, 2015
@PathsofBliss his reply was "she should have cooperated"— Aaron Johnson (@Aaron___J) October 26, 2015
According to the Richland County Sheriff's Department, the school resource officer program "is a collaborative effort by certified law enforcement officers, educators, students, parents, and the community to offer law related educational programs in the schools in an effort to reduce crime, drug abuse, violence, and provide a safe school environment."
Each SRO is a deputy serving with the sheriff's department and is placed in his or her assigned school full-time. Besides keeping the peace, SRO's are also tasked with being a "positive role model for the students" and fulfilling counselor roles in the school for students, teachers, and parents.
In July, Mother Jones published a story investigating the use of force by SROs nationwide.