UPDATE: She Hit Cop First – ‘Spring Valley Arrest Video Isn’t a Disturbing Act of Police Brutality or Racism: Here’s Why’

Last updated on: October 28, 2015 at 12:44 pm by Nancy French

UPDATE: She Hit Cop First – ‘Spring Valley Arrest Video Isn’t a Disturbing Act of Police Brutality or Racism: Here’s Why’ 2015-10-28T12:44:08-05:00 Nancy French

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Screen Shot 2015-10-27 at 7.51.53 PM

UPDATE #2:

Today, the officer was fired!

Richland County Senior Deputy Ben Fields was told of his firing late Wednesday morning, Sheriff Leon Lott said. Lott said he would not describe the now-former resource officer at Spring Valley High School as remorseful, but that Fields was sorry the incident happened and tried to do his job.

UPDATE #1: CNN reports:

One of the videos from inside the math classroom at Spring Valley High School shows the student resisting, according to Lott.

“When the officer puts his hands on her initially, she reaches up and she pops the officer with her fist,” he said.

Yet, the officer has been suspended without pay.

ORIGINAL:

I heard about this interaction in a school classroom today — about the policeman’s unjustified use of force and cruelty against a student who refused to move out of the class. Apparently, a teacher requested her to leave and she wouldn’t leave. Then, an administrator asked the student to leave. No dice. Finally, local law enforcement was called to the scene, when an office forcibly removed her from her chair, put her in handcuffs, and took her away. Though no one was hurt, social media was abuzz about the brutality, yet another example of a cop abusing an African American. Plus, the FBI and Department of Justice might investigate. With all of this, I was surprised when I actually saw the video:

David French put it best:

After watching and re-watching the incident, I keep coming to the same conclusion: This is what happens when a person resists a lawful order from a police officer to move. Unless the school is willing to have one student commandeer the classroom indefinitely, the officer has few options beyond physical force — and the use of physical force is rarely pretty to see. In this instance, the use of force was decisive, brief, and did not physically harm the student.

He goes on to say:

I’ve known multiple public-school teachers who were grateful for police assistance after spending years getting punched, kicked, bitten, and otherwise physically abused by their students. I distinctly remember seeing my own teachers tossed around like rag dolls by angry students during raging hallway brawls. At some schools, even small children will attack and harm their teachers.

This summer I was driving home and stopped my Honda Pilot when a rather large woman running away from the police ran in front of my vehicle. When she was detained, it looked a lot like this. Why? It’s just not easy to get physically uncooperative people to do what they need to do. David concludes:

The arrested student at Spring Valley High School should have left her seat when her teacher demanded that she leave. She should have left when the administrator made the same demand. She should have left when Fields made his first, polite requests. She had no right to stay. She had no right to end classroom instruction with her defiance. Fields was right to move her, and he did so without hurting her. The fact that the incident didn’t look good on camera doesn’t make his actions wrong. Unless additional evidence emerges, the Spring Valley video is going viral for all the wrong reasons.

Read more on the Patheos Faith and Family Channel, follow Nancy on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

Previous Post

October 27, 2015

The Etiquette of Trans-Racial Adoption: Please Don't Touch

Next Post

October 28, 2015 Why the Friendly Atheist is Right (and Wrong) about Common Core

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Christmas faith family ministry music Television Uncategorized

Select a Month June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 March 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz