An investigation has been launched into a California police officer after footage of her striking a 16-year-old boy at a high school went viral, authorities said. The officer has been reassigned from her duties following the incident at Fairfield High School on May 20.
In the video, the teenager, identified as Maurice Williams, is seen lying on the floor as the officer pins him down. Fairfield Police Chief Dan Marshall apologised for the incident and announced that an external organisation would conduct an independent investigation.
At a press conference on Friday, the family of Maurice Williams said he had suffered headaches and dizzy spells after the altercation. “That bothered me to see my grandbaby lying there,” one relative said. “Getting beat like a dog. Hair pulled.”
Body-camera footage released by the Fairfield Police Department shows the officer striking the student while pinning him to the ground after another individual attempted to arrest him. Police said a school resource officer had responded to a physical altercation involving multiple students, during which a student allegedly fought a school official who tried to break it up.
According to police, the officer requested emergency assistance and claimed a student had tried to retrieve an item from a backpack. Two backpacks were confiscated, containing “sharp objects” including a screwdriver. After a second student ran into a crowd, he was located and a “takedown technique” was used to place him on the ground. The student “tensed his arms” as the officer attempted to handcuff him, prompting a “distraction strike” followed by additional strikes. The student eventually complied and was arrested.
Chief Marshall addressed the viral videos, stating that the student was not handcuffed at the time of the strikes, which were delivered to “gain compliance”. He added: “I am sorry this incident occurred and that it has caused division and concern within our community.”
