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Another police officer has been caught abusing a student at school. A video that was recently uploaded to YouTube shows police officer Joshua Kehm using excessive force on a young girl.
The video was captured at Rhodes Middle School in San Antonio, Texas. The student is identified as Janissa Valdez, a 12-year-old female student in the sixth grade. Apparently, Kehm believed that a fight was about to occur between Valdez and another student on campus. Words were exchanged, but the girls never got into an altercation.
In the video, Kehm is seen grabbing Valdez from behind and pulling her arms behind her back. Kehm eventually lifts the girl off the ground and slams her to the pavement, and her face hits first. She is unconscious for a few seconds before the officer handcuffs her and escorts her away.
In the background, students can be heard laughing as the officer initially put his arm behind Valdez’s back. However, the other students became concerned with Valdez’s well-being after she was slammed to the ground. They asked if she was “OK” as the officer took her away. Although Valdez suffered the abuse, she was still suspended for two days.
Across the nation, some parents have spoken out against the use of resource offers in schools. In October 2015, Deputy Ben Fields was caught on video slamming a seated female student to the floor at Spring Valley High in South Carolina. In March, an officer was caught on video slapping a male students at Reach! Partnership School in Baltimore, Maryland.
Although violent altercations do occur on school campuses, the need for resource officers is often questioned. In a place where education is the primary goal, having a police officer present can be a form of intimidation and a distraction. It’s apparent that some resource officers are not properly trained on how to handle students without abusing them.
Kehm worked with San Antonio schools for over a year. He has not been charged with a crime, but he’s currently on leave pending an investigation.
