Footage shows school resource officer picking up young woman and throwing her to the floor, leading to a thud and shouts from nearby students

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

A North Carolina police officer was caught on video lifting a high school student into the air and slamming her to the ground, prompting widespread outrage and calls for the policeman to be fired.

The footage, which went viral on Twitter on Tuesday, showed a school resource officer in the middle of a chaotic scene at Rolesville high school picking up the young woman and throwing her to the floor, leading to a thud and shouts from nearby students.

Police and school officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment Tuesday night, but the local paper, the News and Observer, identified the officer as Ruben De Los Santos and reported that he was on paid administrative leave.

The video draws parallels to viral footage of a South Carolina sheriff’s deputy who was caught on camera last year wrapping his arm around a student’s neck in a classroom at Spring Valley high school. That officer, Ben Fields, flipped the student’s desk and dragged the girl across the floor before arresting her. He was eventually fired.

The Rolesville footage has raised fresh concerns about the use of force against students and the harsh and sometimes violent tactics police officers use in classrooms.

The American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina said it was investigating the incident and encouraged people with information to contact the group.

“This use of force is very disturbing and is never justified, especially in schools where kids are supposed to go to learn and be safe and to concentrate on their school work,” said staff attorney Irena Como, adding that the ACLU would consider filing a lawsuit.

It’s unclear what precipitated the violence. The blurry one-minute footage initially showed some kind of altercation, possibly involving a group of students. Several adults appeared to intervene before the video clearly showed De Los Santos carrying the thin young woman and slamming her down.

For a brief moment, the young woman remained limp on the ground before the officer lifted her up and walked her out of view of the camera.

Police officials told the News and Observer that there may be body-camera footage of the incident. Wake County school officials responded on Twitter to the video, writing: “Thank you for sharing this with us. We are working with Rolesville Police Department to investigate.”

Criminal justice reform advocates have long raised concerns about the way public schools in America criminalize students, particularly black students who, studies show, are disproportionately targeted.

The ACLU has also scrutinized the use of corporal punishment against students with disabilities. The group’s recent report in California cited cases of police zip-tying a five-year-old student’s hands and feet and pepper-spraying a seven-year-old with a disability.

On Twitter, users responded to the Rolesville video with outrage and called for the officer to be fired.

“She did NOTHING to deserve that,” one person wrote. “Police feel entitled to use brutality against black people no matter the situation.”

“Protecting students should not involve physically injuring others,” another wrote.