A La Mesa police officer is under investigation after he was filmed body-slamming a 17-year-old student onto the cement at a local charter school in San Diego, KTLA is reporting.
According to the report, officers were called to the school to deal with the teen who had reportedly been suspended by school officials but was reluctant to leave the Helix High School campus. In video shot by another student, the unidentified handcuffed teen is seen being escorted off the school grounds when she pulls away from the officer, who promptly picked her up and slammed her to the cement before pinning her there.
A spokesperson for the family said the teen previously said she was feeling sick and that school officials accused her of being on drugs. A search of her bag turned up a pepper spray — which the girl claimed she kept to protect herself when traveling to and from school — and she was suspended for carrying a weapon.
La Mesa police Chief Walt Vasquez has so far backed his officer, issuing a statement saying: “As they were walking, the student became non-compliant on two separate occasions and made an attempt to free herself by pulling away from the officer. To prevent the student from escaping, the officer forced the student to the ground.”
Speaking for the teen’s family, Aeiramique Blake said the girl felt she was being discriminated against and refused to leave, which led to the altercation
“No matter what was done or not done, that was not the appropriate way to handle a young lady. The community is completely outraged,” Blake said in a statement.
Vasquez said the incident is being looked into and the officer will not patrol the campus while the investigation is ongoing.