A police officer in Brockton, Massachusetts, is on administrative leave and being investigated after a video posted on social media showed him kneeling on a high school student during an arrest.
A police officer in Brockton, Massachusetts, is on leave and under investigation after a video posted on social media showed him kneeling on a high school student during an arrest.
The video was recorded outside during lunch break Wednesday at Brockton High School.
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Brockton Public Schools said the officer detained the student for allegedly attacking another student. That student was charged with assault and battery and was released to his parents.
Some of the other students who witnessed the arrest are heard in the video yelling at the officer as he kneels on the student.
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Brockton School Superintendent Mike Thomas sent out a phone message to parents Wednesday night that said, in part:
"The video depicts the moment the student is being handcuffed, and the way the student is being restrained during the arrest has been cause for great concern. The video was painful to watch -- particularly given its historical context."
The Brockton Police Department declined an on-camera interview with NBC10 Boston but issued a written statement Wednesday.
"Brockton Police are conducting an inquiry into the arrest of a student outside of the high school this afternoon," the department said. "The inquiry is to determine whether the officer followed proper rules and procedures. The student was charged with assault and battery and released to his parents."
The officer, whose name has not been released, was placed on administrative leave while under investigation.
