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Ben Fields, the officer caught on tape snatching a black 16-year-old student from her desk and body-slamming her at Spring Valley High School in South Carolina, has been fired, Sheriff Leon Lott noted in a press conference Wednesday.
Lott said that after reviewing the footage and speaking with officials, he determined that the senior deputy had “violated policy” in tossing the student across the room, and as such had been terminated, according to CBS News.
Lott was also critical of the teen’s behavior, which he stated started the incident.
“This whole incident [was] started by this student. She is responsible for initiating this action. There is some responsibility that falls on her,” Lott said. “Now, the action of our deputies, I take responsibility for that, but we also have to put responsibility on her for disrupting that school, disrupting that class and causing this incident to start from the very beginning.”
Lott added: “What she did doesn’t justify what our deputy did; I don’t want anyone to think that.”
Lott announced during the press conference that Monday’s incident at Spring Valley High School in Columbia is still being investigated by the FBI, the Justice Department and state law enforcement.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-mA-4r72HI
The 34-year-old officer was initially suspended without pay as a result of the incident.
“We are doing the right thing in terminating him,” Lott said.
Agencies/Canadajournal
