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Authorities are investigating a police school resource officer (SRO) in Akron, Ohio, after he was caught on camera repeatedly punching a 16-year-old high school Black student in the head.
According to News 5 Cleveland, the incident began when the school principal tasked the SROs to help find the boy, who did not pass through the metal detectors. The incident, caught on the school’s security camera, escalated when the student didn’t immediately comply with the officers. The SROs quickly tried to detain the student, attempting to handcuff the boy and arrest him in front of his classmates.
The video shows the young man trying to resist arrest when one of the SROs punches the boy in the side of the head three times with a closed fist. The officers then wrestled the boy to the ground and escorted him out of the school, according to CNN.
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The district’s Superintendent, Michael Robinson, called the actions of the SROs actions unacceptable and stressed the importance of building trust within the community.
“We deeply value the partnership we have with law enforcement and the crucial role SROs play in ensuring the safety of our students and building relationships and trust within our community,” Robinson said in a press release. “At the same time, it is equally important that accountability is upheld when incidents like this occur. The safety and well-being of our students and staff are our highest priority.”
Akron police have “formally requested the permanent removal of the SRO,” according to the release and the officer has been placed on administrative leave.
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Mayor Shammas Malik said he “found the video upsetting” and ensured a “fair and complete” investigation.
“I recognize that many people may not trust this process. I want to inform you that I take a fair and complete process very seriously,” Malik said.
According to CNN, the young teen faced several charges, including resisting arrest, but authorities dismissed the charges pending the outcome of the internal review.
As previously reported by NewsOne, police in schools have been detrimental to Black students.
Mother Jones reported that “Since the 2015–2016 school year, Black students have accounted for nearly three out of four arrests at Oakland schools, despite constituting 26 percent of students. From 2010 to 2012, not a single white student was arrested by Oakland School Police.”
According to the CATO Institute, in the 2019-2020 school year, 51.4 percent of public schools possessed an armed, sworn law-enforcement officer. Researcher, also reported by CATO, found that the presence of SROs in middle schools increased “out-of-school suspensions, transfers, expulsions, and police referrals.” The increase in suspensions was especially acute for Hispanic and Black students.
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