Spring Valley High Student Injured in Altercation with School Resource Officer, Says Lawyer
Despite early reports that the student who was flung out of a chair by a school resource officer was unharmed by the incident, her lawyer is now saying his client was hurt in the event.
Attorney Todd Rutherford appeared on the ABC's "Good Morning America," where he discussed the severity of the student's injuries.
"She now has a cast on her arm, she has neck and back injuries. She has a Band-Aid on her forehead where she suffered rug burn on her forehead," said Rutherford.
The incident occurred Monday morning when Richland County Deputy Ben Fields was called in to remove a student at Spring Valley High in Columbia, South Carolina. Fields approached the student and asked her to get up, but when she didn't comply he grabbed her by the neck and overturned her desk. The officer then dragged the student across the floor before putting her in handcuffs.
Several students caught footage of the event, posting it online and stirring outrage nationwide.
Sheriff Leon Lott had previously told reporters that the girl was uninjured in the altercation, saying "she may have a rug burn." Lott also said that the video made him want to "throw up," but noted that it looked as if the girl attempted to strike the officer before being taken down.
By Wednesday, Fields was fired from his post. He was originally suspended without pay, and the FBI and U.S. Justice Department have been called in to conduct a civil rights investigation.
"We're going to handle it appropriately and we're going to handle it very quickly. This is not something that should drag out," Lott had said at a news conference on Tuesday. "I think the public demands and expects and should get a very quick answer on this, and that's what we're going to do."
Fields has faced two lawsuits in the past for using excessive force. He is also set to appear in court in January, due to accusations of racial bias by an expelled student.
Watch the incident play out below.
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