Video on social media shows San Antonio officers forcibly restraining 14-year-old girl

Karen Corby, right, a lawyer, speaks with the mother of a 14-year-old girl who was seen in a viral Internet video being forcibly detained by several San Antonio police officers. The young woman appeared in juvenile court on Monday, May 22, 2017. less Karen Corby, right, a lawyer, speaks with the mother of a 14-year-old girl who was seen in a viral Internet video being forcibly detained by several San Antonio police officers. The young woman appeared in ... more Photo: Bob Owen /San Antonio Express-News Photo: Bob Owen /San Antonio Express-News Image 1 of / 12 Caption Close Video on social media shows San Antonio officers forcibly restraining 14-year-old girl 1 / 12 Back to Gallery

A video surfaced on several social media sites Sunday showing three or four San Antonio police officers forcibly detaining a 14-year-old girl while her mother screams in the background, attempting to help her.

The brief video, made by a bystander, caught the attention of several local activists who are outraged by the officers’ actions, saying one used excessive force.

The girl, an eighth-grader who the San Antonio Express-News is not identifying because she’s a minor, was arrested Saturday night on a criminal charge of assaulting a public servant, according to one of her lawyers.

She remained in the Bexar County Juvenile Detention Center until Monday afternoon, when she was released by Judge Arcelia Trevino.

Artessia House, one of the girl’s lawyers, said her client, an honor-roll student with no history of violence, did not assault the officer. House said one officer can be seen in the video “clear as day” striking the girl.

Police Chief William McManus issued a statement Monday night: “Per SAPD policy, the events leading up to the arrest of the juvenile for assaulting a public official is being investigated to ensure compliance with Department policies.”

Mayor Ivy Taylor also issued a statement, saying: “"The video made public showing a scuffle between police officers and a girl is hard to watch and to listen to. SAPD is now reviewing body cam video to determine exactly what happened and Chief McManus is keeping me updated on the ongoing investigation. When I supported funding for body cameras it was for instances like this so that we can see exactly what happened and protect officers and citizens.”

The 39-second video is blurry, unsteady and shot from a distance at night. One officer can be seen lunging toward the girl, her head suddenly whips around and she falls backward.

The video has been removed from Facebook, but it remains on YouTube and Twitter.

A spokeswoman for the San Antonio Police Department said officers were called about 11 p.m. to the Crown Palace Event Center on Walzem Road on the Northeast Side about an assault. Initially, the report was about two men fighting at a quinceañera, which the girl and the mother were attending, according to House. The fight moved to the parking lot.

In the video, one officer can be seen talking to two men in the parking lot. Then the camera pans to the left and an officer roughly grabs the girl, wearing a purple dress.

More officers jump in and for nine seconds attempt to restrain the girl, grabbing at her from behind as the whole group stumbles across the pavement. They eventually move behind a vehicle, out of view.

The girl’s mother, in a white dress, can be seen trying to get to her daughter and pleading with officers to stop while she is also restrained.

“No! No! No! No!” she cries, as officers hold her arms from behind. “Let her go!”

The department’s policy states that an officer can use physical force or an intermediate weapon if a suspect is actively being resistant. It goes on: “If circumstances allow, officers should attempt to de-escalate tense situations through ‘advisements, warnings, verbal persuasion, and other tactics’ to reduce the need for force.”

Bexar County District Attorney Nico LaHood can determine whether to proceed with the case or drop it. The office did not immediately respond.

About a dozen local activists and family members attended the court hearing Monday, decrying the officers’ actions while offering support to the girl and her mother as they addressed the judge.

After the hearing, Taj Matthews, executive director of the Claude & ZerNona Black Development Leadership Foundation, said he wants to know how the investigation will be handled.

“There’s no way you can justify this officer hitting this girl in the face,” he said.

eeaton@express-news.net

Twitter: @emilieeaton