Students protest IN SUPPORT of cop who dragged schoolgirl, 16, from her desk and threw her across classroom

The defiant student was black and the defending students are both black and white. I said from the outset that I had little sympathy for the defiant student

Students have held a rally calling for the police officer who threw a schoolgirl across a classroom in a violent arrest to be given his job back.

Cop Ben Fields was caught grabbing a black 16-year-old and flipping her out of her chair before slamming her on the ground and arresting her.

The 34-year-old school resource officer at Spring Valley High School in Columbia, South Carolina, was initially suspended without pay after the clash, but was fired earlier this week.

Despite the aggressive arrest, around 100 students at the school held a rally in support of Fields on Friday.

The teenager had refused to turn in her phone, prompting maths teacher Robert Long to call in Fields.

Deputy Fields asked pupils sitting nearby to move and placed the girl's laptop on another desk before repeatedly asking the girl to move, fellow students said.

When she refused again, the officer grabbed hold of the desk and flipped it up, causing the girl to fall out before he threw her across the classroom.

Pupils said they wanted to support the cop and help protect his reputation as they marched out of classes on Friday. Students chanted the cop's name and wore shirts which said 'Free Fields' and 'Bring Back Fields'.

They did not return to classes until principal Jeff Temoney arrived, saying he had respectfully listened to their protest and expected the students to get back to lessons.

Senior London Harrell was among Fields' supporters and told WLTX: 'We just want to show that we're still supporting him and that he's still a good guy. 'We don't want his reputation to be ruined because of something that happened on Monday.'

In a letter to parents, Mr Temoney said around 100 students had left lessons at around 10am but were back in classrooms within ten minutes.  'I addressed the students to let them know that we understood their need to make their voices heard,' Temoney wrote.

'Then I reminded them that Spring Valley High is all about the business of teaching and learning, so it's time to go back to class.'

Fields was a deputy for ten years before the incident, which was caught on camera by at least three students.

The girl involved was recently orphaned, having lost her mother and grandmother in the past year, and had been placed in foster care, her attorney said.

An arrest report revealed Fields, who weighs 300lb, used ‘muscling techniques’ on the girl and spent a total of 15 minutes in the classroom.

Richland 2 School District Superintendent Debbie Hamm said: ‘We know important work is ahead of us as we thoughtfully and carefully review the decision-making process that may lead to a school resource officer taking the lead in handling a student disruption.’

Field is under both state and federal investigation.

Original report here


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