Going viral is a disturbing video (see below) at South Carolina’s Spring Valley high in which a school officer is caught grabbing a high school student from her chair and knocking her to the floor before dragging her across the classroom.
The video filmed at a classroom on Monday shows the officer, since identified as Deputy Ben Fields grabbing the student by her arms whilst sitting at her desk and flipping her over, toppling her desk in the process. Not finished, Fields then drags the humiliated girl in front of the classroom.
Deputy Ben Fields: ‘I have a history of acting roughly with black students’
Since put on administrative duty, according to Richland County Sheriff Dept spokesperson, Lt. Curtis Wilson, questions have been asked if Fields ought to be fired all together?
According to local TV station, WIST, the incident came about after the student refused to leave class. Why the student declined to follow directives is not necessarily understood.
Fields, according to Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott, was acting in response to the student, who was refusing to leave class.
‘The student was told she was under arrest for disturbing school and given instructions which she again refused,’ Lott said. ‘The video then shows the student resisting and being arrested by the SRO.’
It was later revealed the student along with a male student in the class, were arrested for ‘disturbing the peace.’
Reacting to blowback and condemnation as to the heavy handiness off the school officer, Libby Roof, a communications officer for Richland School District Two, told News19 officials were “deeply concerned”.
‘Student safety is and always will be the district’s top priority,’ Roof said in a statement. ‘The district will not tolerate any actions that jeopardize the safety of our students. Pending the outcome of the investigation, the district has directed that the school resource officer not return to any school in the district.‘
A group calling themselves the Richland Two Black Parents Association called the video ‘egregious’ and ‘unacceptable.’
‘Parents are heartbroken as this is just another example of the intolerance that continues to be of issue in Richland School District Two particularly with families and children of color,’ the statement said. ‘As we have stated in the past, we stand ready to work in collaboration to address these horrible acts of violence and inequities among our children’.
Fields will not be back at any school pending the results of an investigation, Lt. Wilson said.
The issue has led to questions regarding how the existence of police officers on school grounds lead to bias and the overall subjugation and criminalization of black students, especially those from poor regions.
Reflects vox: So schools aren’t just more likely to criminalize their students nowadays; they’re more likely to criminalize their black students in particular. Some socioeconomic issues — black kids are more likely to be poor, and poorer schools tend to be more punitive — play a role. But subconscious racial biases play a significant role, as well.
What do you think? Did Deputy Ben Fields go beyond the call of duty? Could he have found another way to deal with the situation? And what if the student had been a white female? Would he have reacted in the same way and what does this say about attitudes towards colored children and the African American community in general? Or is that the media conflating an instance of a taxed officer ‘momentarily’ losing his cool?
Or to put it more succinctly, would you be demanding for the firing of Deputy Ben Fields if this was your child being manhandled by school authorities?
Or maybe he’s a PED-fueled racist time bomb who will soon kill a black person the next time he’s having a bad day. And cost his county millions in a civil lawsuit. Is that what you want to say, but don’t quite have the courage to?
Some of you people are too ignorant and stupid to ever understand what white privilege means. Debating with someone as vapid as you is like trying to find a store that sells milk for $1.99/gallon.
They yanked Sandra Bland from her car, moron. You mean they don’t yank white feminists like you from their cars because they know you will be on the horn to Gloria Alred ASAP.
What provisions are there in the law for rogue, PED-fueled racist cops who break the law???
Sounds to me like you watch a lot of Hannerty & O’Reilly.
You know what they always say about ASSuming, right? Listen, I’d like to wrap my hands around the necks of some of these insolent kids myself, but I don’t because I’m an adult who ought to know better. The cop is a trained professional who definitely should have known better. Losing his job is the least. He should be behind bars and idiots like need to be removed from the streets as fast as possible. Please tell me you didn’t breed.
Jesus makes no mistakes as your understanding of Him is incorrect on his message through Saint Paul
Gid’s ways are not always our ways. Also. God gives us a free will and, at times, He allows Satan to test and trial our devotion to him,God Just believe in God He knows what He is doing in these individuals lives as He created them and hung on a crioss for both. Let us hope we will see these events as another wake up call to emulate the life of Jesus Christ.
Did the pig, Ben Fields, rush to judgement? Lets see the bible and god be there for EVERYONE, not just white cops.
If god is all knowing and powerful, and only him, why wasn’t he called upon to deal with the child with the cell phone, rather than an abuser? Seems to me there’s a bit of hypocrisy afoot!
Stop blathering about someone whose doctrines (letters from St. Paul to the early church) support slavery. We don’t live that way anymore.
Sometimes, people are yanked from their cars for speeding. Usually, those people are black.
The fourth amendment granted her the right to keep her cell phone on her person. The first amendment granted her the right to be in school.It also grants her the right to peaceful assembly. The one who did not have the constitutional right to do what he did is the cop. He broke the law.
Are pigs expected to obey the law, too?
She really didn’t do anything to bring on Ben Field’s criminal behavior. He’s been fired now. Hopefully he will be charged, too.
Earthly wisdom says yes he might do as you think. Godly wisdom says wait to see what God will do
Maybe God will “effectuate his greatness” in this monster, but I seriously doubt it’s going to happen. Fields will blame the students, parents, the school, liberals, the media, and the sheriff. Ultimately in an attempt to secure new employment he’ll be forced to make a formal apology and beg for forgiveness, but he will probably never truly take full responsibility for his actions. I’ve known a lot of guys like Fields. They feel they are above any and all judgment, and they rarely change their stripes.
Only God is all knowing and all powerful. He can use this event to effectuate his greatness in the life of that officer. King David defeated Goliath, and then kills Uriah to hide his adulterous relationship with Uriah’ s wife. God convicted him. Later referring to him as a Saint. St. Paul killed both Saint Stephen and Jesus; yet God used him as one of His greatest disciples.
Nope, but you’re still racist. Well, maybe you’re more ignorant than racist since you’ve never been the object of discrimination. You wouldn’t be so cavalier if you had.
Being white does not equal being racist.
You’re white.
Guess what… cops don’t yank people from their cars for speeding. And you probably can’t give me one example where a cop has done that without a suspect being insubordinate and combative. You also don’t know that I’m white. You’re assuming.
The next time you go over the speed limit, remember that you are breaking the kaw, and, by your logic, a cop should yank you from your car and toss you around. But, that won’t hapoen because you are white. Now, go away.
Could you please quote to me where in the constitution it upholds breaking the law? When a person refuses to comply with a police officer’s instructions, they are in violation of the law. I will be the first to say that there are many police officers who are jerks. However, that is the case in any profession. The point is that police officers risk their lives every single day, and you don’t have to respect the person but respect the position because you will need them one day.
Hey, you’re obviously a fan of fascism. I’m not. Thankfully, the Constitution still means something to the rest of us. And, what’s ultimately going to happen is that the people of that county will be paying for the actions of that idiot, meathead cop. Fields will scamper away to find work as a truckdriver or frycook while the county gets sued.
I enjoy my life in the greatest country in the world. A country where it’s citizens are expected to observe the rules and the laws and are held accountable if they fail to do so. And guess what…sometimes being held accountable means getting your ass beat and that’s just what this little girl deserved. Maybe this incident will scare her enough to keep her out of jail.
Enjoy your life in Fantasyland, fool.
You are a moron. Being a teenager does not mean it is ok to not follow the rules or obey authority figures whether it be a teacher or a police officer. This student was insubordinate and was given several opportunities to leave the classroom of her own accord. She was told that if she didn’t comply she would be physically removed and placed under arrest at which point the officer had the right to use whatever measures necessary to take her into custody at which point she became physically combative and assaulted the officer. If parents do not instill discipline in their children at home, police officers should not be punished for being forced to take over the job. And Trayvon Martin did beat up Zimmerman before he was shot because there were photographs of his bloody face and a hospital report detailing his injuries.
I think YOU need to get some psychiatric help if you’re blaming the student girl for the actions of that dumbass monster cop. She is a teenager, and he is supposedly a trained professional.
And, where is your evedence that Trayvon Martin beat up someone? Oh yeah, that’s what you heard from the man who hunted and murdered him.
I too am Christian. I also know when someone is a monster. Ben Fields is a man who should never be around children or, for that matter, any other humans. Sherrif Lott made the right decision when he fired him. And, now the entire country, the Justice Department, and any potential employers have seen what this man is. I have no pity for him. He’s had many occasions to reevaluate his life and he chose otherwise. He felt he was above the law and all other earthly judgment, and now he is learning that he is not. After this he will be lucky if he can find work as a nightclub bouncer.
It is clear you and many posters have misinterprted my comments. I am a follower of Jesus Christ and every moment He gives me I spend time with him learning about Him and His unconditional love. It is that love which hung from a cross for all of us and it is that love that fills my heart. When you have that love you see the world differently; that is you recognize the original sin bearer. Also, that does not mean one condones sinful acts such as the officer’s, but one convicts those acts pointing the actor to God as the standard. Otherwise, the pointer is a hypocrite ,not understanding the message of the cross Both of these individuals probably have suffered much in their lives which affected their behaviors My job as a Christian is to understand that and pray for God to heal those hurts God loves us unconditionally and that is what he expects us to do.
I read your comment but you have misunderstood mine. Jesus says in the Bible that we should not rush to judgment until we hear all sides. My position has always been, absent heightened predicates this officer’s conduct was over the top. That being said I have compassion for both of these individuals who probably suffered much in their lives. I do this as a follower of the love of my life, jesus Christ.
This kid needs anger management classes and discipline to learn respect for her elders–she’s still a kid. She disobeyed her teacher and the policeman. And adults are blaming the adults? How can you get her (she’s not small) out of the chair if she’s fighting back? Adults need to quit making excuses for these out-of-control kids. Michael Brown beat up someone, stole from him, then beat up a cop. Trayvon Martin beat up someone. How many more kids are supporters like you willing to sacrifice by approving their disrespect and violence for others, in fact, encouraging it? YOU ARE TO BLAME – not the policeman.
Ben Fields needs to be fired, arrested, and locked away where he can’t hurt anymore girls. He is a dangerous man, and he should not be allowed around to be near children. I also wonder how he treats his girlfriend when she doesn’t “comply.”
It’s far too easy to blame the situation on a teenage girl’s opposition to authority. She is a child. The officer is an adult and a trained professional, but he acted like nothing more than a jackbooted thug and a schoolyard bully.
Also, he’s not burned out. Rather, he is like far too many cops who become enraged when they feel disrespected. He feels above the law and above all reproach. Cops like Fields either do not understand or choose to ignore the protections provided by the Constitution. He is a menace and a violent criminal, and he belongs where all criminals belong — in jail.
You can be certain that Sonja would be screamimg for Fields’ head on a platter if he were black and the student were white.
What, exactly, are you trying to say, Sonja? That he might not really be a prejudiced, violent creep? Are you waiting to say all those things the next time he lashes out at someone, particularly someone black, and injures him or her? Or do you just think his crap is okay?
For those indicating the officer’s conduct is racially motivated, I do not know if it is or is not as I have seen people of various hues mistreat others as the officer did. The point though is, that we have a lot of behavioral issues in the school system; some of which impede the progress of the one misbehaving and those not. Such at times being addressed with various methods. Absent some predicate dangers, this officer needs to be placed on leave and his conduct evaluated . If he is burnt out, the school is no longer a safe place for him and the children he supervises. Thus, it may serve an altruistic purpose this visual being broadcast nation wide.