Kids are out of control, and many schools have turned into war zones as a result. Schools have resource officers on site, but many times some of these kids are bigger and stronger, and the officers are reluctant to show any force because of possible repercussions. One can hardly blame them. Why risk your pension, your career, and sometimes your freedom and tussle with a kid?
Recently another incident involving an out-of-control high school kid and a school resource officer turned physical at a Florida High School.
A 15-year-old in Florida is facing charges after video shows him body slamming a school resource officer who was attempting to break up a fight between two other students.
St. Cloud police said SRO Ball was trying to break up a fight between two male students at St. Cloud High School when a third male student grabbed the officer around the torso and slammed him to the ground.
The student and the officer ended up in a physical altercation where the student continued to fight and resist arrest until bystanders helped get him under control”
Florida high school student body slams police officer during fight: 'Despicable' https://t.co/BFsxSiDmYz #FoxNews
— Rob Mattox (@RobMattox2) October 9, 2022
So, what can be done about this sort of out-of-control behavior? The 15-year-old kid had no business involving himself in the situation and put the officer in the way of bodily harm. Sadly, the kid will likely be just treated as a juvenile and face little to no trouble for his actions.
Isn’t this part of the problem? The officer can’t really retaliate or defend himself, and the boy will get no punishment. The St. Cloud police department made this statement:
“To be clear, the incident Officer Ball was dealing with did not involve the student that was arrested. Officer Ball was there to prevent two other students from harming each other,” he wrote. “What occurred to Officer Ball was despicable and should never have happened. We will never tolerate behavior that targets our officers and will hold those accountable at the highest levels.”
The teenager was arrested for battery on a law enforcement officer and resisting arrest with violence.
He was taken to the Juvenile Assessment Center in Orlando.
No other arrests were made at that time, two 14-year-olds will be charged for their participation. Charges filed to the State Attorney’s Office for those two boys are battery on a Law Enforcement Officer and resisting arrest without violence.
Part of the issue is the juvenile was taken not to jail, rather a juvenile facility. Kids like this need to be afraid, both of the consequences and the environment. Perhaps a “scared straight” type scenario is what’s best. Does an officer have to be killed or gravely injured because of out-of-control kids? Or maybe can the officers be allowed to do their job and keep other kids safe, even if it means use of force. It’s indisputable that our schools are out of control and the officers are unable to maintain control until or unless they are allowed to do their job, even if that means use of force on a juvenile.
