In this CBS News clip, portions of a cell phone video (shown in full below) paint a disturbing scene from a Texas middle school. Sixth-grade student Janissa Valdez is shown being lifted into the air by a school officer, who slams her (face down) into the concrete. The impact knocks her out for at least a few seconds — the moment when her head hits the ground is audible — and her fellow students are heard expressing concern. The officer then cuffs Valdez, heaves her off the concrete, and forces her to walk away. The girl remembers nothing, but this footage serves as a reminder, as do the bruises she collected from the ordeal. After the brutal way she was pushed onto the ground, it’s a miracle she didn’t sustain broken bones (or worse).
The incident took place in San Antonio. Officer Joshua Kehm reportedly heard that Valdez was preparing to fight another student, although the 12-year-old says this wasn’t true. Kehm has been placed on leave while an investigation determines whether he used “excessive force,” but Valdez has not returned to school since the March 29 incident. Her mother, Gloria, told CBS that her daughter received a two-day suspension before anyone began to investigate the officer. In fact, Gloria says she acquired the video footage and leaked it herself to spread the message of what happened. This mom is not about to let this violence be swept away so easily.
The original footage appears even more shocking without the news anchor commentary to narrate the violence.
(Via CBS News and Daily Mail)