LAND O’ LAKES, FL — The Pasco Sheriff’s Office Professional Standards Unit is investigating a complaint against a school resource office at Sunlake High School in Land O’ Lakes for reportedly being overly rough when restraining a student.
According to the sheriff, on Tuesday, April 24, the SRO was asked by school administrators to remove a disruptive female student from the school cafeteria. When he attempted to place the student into custody, she resisted and the SRO had to physically restrain her and handcuff her.
The student’s parents took her to the hospital for a concussion and bruises on her arms and knees. They’ve filed an internal affairs complain with the sheriff’s office.
The sheriff’s office is not naming the SRO. Sheriff’s spokesman Kevin Doll said the SRO has been reassigned while the case is being reviewed. Sheriff Chris Nocco is expected to provide more details at a press conference Wednesday at noon.
The sheriff’s office is studying the eight minutes of video from the SRO’s body cam and interviewing witnesses.
“As information continues to evolve, we want to ensure that the statements made about this incident are factual and accurate,” said Doll. “As a result, no additional information about the case is being released at this time, including the charges against the student who was arrested as they are misdemeanors and are not public record.”
Student Natalie Cruz was in the cafeteria at the time of the incident and recorded it on her cell phone. She provided a copy of that video to Patch.
The student who was restrained, Mackenzie Hannah, spoke with News Channel 8.She said she was told she was causing a disturbance in the cafeteria because she was skipping her online class. She said she was charged with resisting arrest and disrupting an assembly.
Source: https://patch.com/florida/landolakes/sunlake-resource-deputy-under-review-after-restraining-student