Officer on Leave after Controversial Arrest of a Student

Officer on Leave after Controversial Arrest of a Student

  • By Sydny Shepard
  • Oct 27, 2015

A school district in South Carolina is investigating the actions of a school police officer after a video circulated showing the scene of his violent removal of a high school student from her desk at Spring Valley High School.

While information on the events leading up to the incident is scarce, a news story reported that the student was asked to leave the classroom several times by her teacher after causing a disturbance in the classroom. When the student did not move, the assistant principle and the school’s officer, Deputy Ben Fields, entered the room. In the video, you can hear Fields say, “You’re either going to come with me, or I’m going to make you.”

When the student doesn’t respond, he says, “Come on, I’m going to get you up.” This is when Fields reaches out for the student, picking both her and her desk up before they both tip backwards falling to the floor. Fields then drags her several feet from her toppled over desk to the front of the classroom where he then restrains her with handcuffs while she remains face down on the floor.

Since the video surfaced, there has been an immediate outcry for the safety of the children. Analysts question why the officer was invited into the classroom at all, wondering if teachers are too quick to call in the police to deal with behavioral issues.

“Too often, these teachers in these schools are calling on the cops because they have a disruptive student in the classroom.” Harry Houck, a CNN law enforcement analyst said. “This is not the cop’s job.”

The county’s police department is requesting the FBI for South Carolina and the U.S. Justice Department to conduct the investigation.  Fields will not be back at any school and is not currently working for the department pending investigation.

About the Author

Sydny Shepard is the Executive Editor of Campus Security & Life Safety.

Featured

  • Security Industry Association Announces the 2026 Security Megatrends

    The Security Industry Association (SIA) has identified and forecasted the 2026 Security Megatrends, which form the basis of SIA’s signature annual Security Megatrends report defining the top 10 factors influencing both near- and long-term change in the global security industry. Read Now

  • The Future of Access Control: Cloud-Based Solutions for Safer Workplaces

    Access controls have revolutionized the way we protect our people, assets and operations. Gone are the days of cumbersome keychains and the security liabilities they introduced, but it’s a mistake to think that their evolution has reached its peak. Read Now

  • A Look at AI

    Large language models (LLMs) have taken the world by storm. Within months of OpenAI launching its AI chatbot, ChatGPT, it amassed more than 100 million users, making it the fastest-growing consumer application in history. Read Now

  • First, Do No Harm: Responsibly Applying Artificial Intelligence

    It was 2022 when early LLMs (Large Language Models) brought the term “AI” into mainstream public consciousness and since then, we’ve seen security corporations and integrators attempt to develop their solutions and sales pitches around the biggest tech boom of the 21st century. However, not all “artificial intelligence” is equally suitable for security applications, and it’s essential for end users to remain vigilant in understanding how their solutions are utilizing AI. Read Now

  • Improve Incident Response With Intelligent Cloud Video Surveillance

    Video surveillance is a vital part of business security, helping institutions protect against everyday threats for increased employee, customer, and student safety. However, many outdated surveillance solutions lack the ability to offer immediate insights into critical incidents. This slows down investigations and limits how effectively teams can respond to situations, creating greater risks for the organization. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • EasyGate SPT and SPD

    EasyGate SPT SPD

    Security solutions do not have to be ordinary, let alone unattractive. Having renewed their best-selling speed gates, Cominfo has once again demonstrated their Art of Security philosophy in practice — and confirmed their position as an industry-leading manufacturers of premium speed gates and turnstiles.

  • HD2055 Modular Barricade

    Delta Scientific’s electric HD2055 modular shallow foundation barricade is tested to ASTM M50/P1 with negative penetration from the vehicle upon impact. With a shallow foundation of only 24 inches, the HD2055 can be installed without worrying about buried power lines and other below grade obstructions. The modular make-up of the barrier also allows you to cover wider roadways by adding additional modules to the system. The HD2055 boasts an Emergency Fast Operation of 1.5 seconds giving the guard ample time to deploy under a high threat situation.

  • Luma x20

    Luma x20

    Snap One has announced its popular Luma x20 family of surveillance products now offers even greater security and privacy for home and business owners across the globe by giving them full control over integrators’ system access to view live and recorded video. According to Snap One Product Manager Derek Webb, the new “customer handoff” feature provides enhanced user control after initial installation, allowing the owners to have total privacy while also making it easy to reinstate integrator access when maintenance or assistance is required. This new feature is now available to all Luma x20 users globally. “The Luma x20 family of surveillance solutions provides excellent image and audio capture, and with the new customer handoff feature, it now offers absolute privacy for camera feeds and recordings,” Webb said. “With notifications and integrator access controlled through the powerful OvrC remote system management platform, it’s easy for integrators to give their clients full control of their footage and then to get temporary access from the client for any troubleshooting needs.”