Watch: Video footage of La Mesa police officer slamming a high school student to the ground sparks outrage
This video clip taken by another student has gone viral after the La Mesa Police officer was seen slamming an arrested teen to the ground on Friday afternoon.
The incident happened at Helix Charter High School after the student had been suspended another student captured a portion of the altercation on video and shared it to social media which has angered other students and parents. The community has come together to stage a protest and are calling for the officer's removal.
Officers were called to the school when a 17-year-old student who had just been suspended refused to leave the campus voluntarily when she was ordered to do so. A school resource officer tried to get the girl to leave voluntarily, and then ordered her to leave. When the girl wouldn't cooperate, the officer handcuffed her and began walking her to the school's office, according to La Mesa Police Chief Walt Vasquez.
“As they were walking, the student became non-compliant on two separate occasions and made an attempt to free herself by pulling away from the officer,'' the chief said. “To prevent the student from escaping, the officer forced the student to the ground.”
In the video all that can be seen is the officer throwing the girl to the ground and then using his body weight to pin her down, twice.
Vasquez said that the student finally agreed to quit resisting and the officer helped her up and walked her to his patrol car.
Read more at the SanDiegoUnionTribune.com
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