South Carolina deputy assaulting teen girl in viral video
Another incident of police excessive force was seen around the world when video of an encounter between a Sheriff’s deputy and a teen girl in South Carolina went viral. Of course there has been much ink and video shed in support of the deputy, even some who are blaming the girl for her own assault. Before you support the deputy there are some things to consider.
It seems the deputy planned to use force from the start no matter what happened:
“Before Slamster even approached the student he had another student move his desk and clear a path, then removed the Chromebook that was on her desk – so he planned from the moment he entered the room to assault her regardless of anything she did or didn’t do.”
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The cop had a very bad reputation through out the school student body to the point where kids were afraid of the guy. The deputy was known to throw kids around to show who was in charge. It seems most adults were afraid of him too.
The deputy had at least 100 lbs on the girl and she was basically not a threat to him because she was sitting at a school desk where the writing top is attached to the chair. She was being obstinate about leaving the room but she didn’t have a weapon or make any threatening moves toward the deputy. I was surprised he didn’t shoot her as some of these confrontations with unarmed people have turned out recently.
As the Daily Kos article points out the deputy’s reaction fits more with the lunkheads who get their feelings hurt when someone refuses to kowtow to their police power.
I once worked with a police officer working special duty at a grocery store who got pissed off at a stopped shoplifter who refused to give his name. The officer already had the guy handcuffed but he then sprayed mace in the guy’s face then pulled his shirt over the face to make the mace worse. He got such a good laugh off that.
I don’t care if someone is calling you every name in the book and won’t comply with your orders, you have no right to physically assault them if they aren’t a direct threat (such as having a weapon or punching you in the face). Professionals, especially the police, are suppose to remain even tempered and only get physical if they are in danger.
When I was in school years ago I witness a similar incident with a classmate refusing to leave the room after being a putz during class. The teacher warned the kid several times and each time the kid refused to get up and leave.
The teacher went over to the desk and dragged it, including the student, across the room and out into the hall. Problem solved.
Why didn’t the Sheriff’s deputy do that?
Because he had to be the bully and show this girl who was the boss.
It is also very interesting that the deputy was fired so fast. Usually these things are drawn out as it is “investigated” and the police union is involved. My guess is the deputy had a bad reputation on the job and this incident was the last straw.
All the people whining about ‘entitled brats not respecting authority’ should remember respect is a two way street. I also don’t think it is being entitled to expect not to be assaulted by the police for just being labeled as some vague notion of “disruptive” or because I hurt the feelings of some bully cop. Violence doesn’t guarantee respect.
Also remember the girl was a teenager who made a poor choice to defy the school administration. It is insulting and unfair to treat her like a common street criminal.
The police should be held to a higher standard and we need to root out the cops who are only on the job for the power trip like the deputy in this incident seemed to be.
