The parents and the attorney of a 17-year-old Blanche Ely High School student are demanding action in response to a Broward Sheriff’s deputy allegedly using excessive force on the teen during an encounter back in February.
However, according to NBC Miami, Sheriff Gregory Tony is standing by his deputy, saying that the use of force was appropriate and announcing that there will be no internal investigation.
At a news conference on Monday, attorneys for Jordan Bennett said that the teen was in the midst of a verbal argument with another student on Feb. 21, when the officer tackled the teen, slamming his head to the cafeteria floor. Some of the incident was captured on cellphone footage.
Bennett had to be taken to the hospital, where he received stitches, leaving a scar on his forehead.
“Don’t tell me that you could not take my client who engaged in a verbal altercation with another student without leaving a permanent scar on his forehead. I don’t buy it, the people of Broward County don’t buy it, and enough is enough,” attorney Jasmine Rand said at the press conference. “If you keep coming for our babies, we’re going to keep [coming] for your badges, period.”
Rand also accused the deputy of putting Bennett in a chokehold, something which the Sheriff stepped around.
“What you’re seeing in that video is the deputy on top of this young man, holding him down. So there was no full execution of a chokehold in the sense of what we’re accustomed to seeing. He was holding him down,” Tony insisted.
“The allegations that were made today by Mr. Bennett’s attorney are not consistent and they’re not accurate with what video footage shows, what the deputy’s actions were and what is articulated in the report,” Tony added.
The sheriff said that there will be no internal affairs investigation into the deputy’s action. The deputy, who remains unidentified, has been with the sheriff’s office for over 20 years.
“If my deputies step out of line and they violate policies and protocols, if they breach and use any form of excessive force, they will be held accountable,” Tony said. “But when they are right, I will also stand here and tell you that.”