After feeble attempts to defend the out-of-control deputy that was caught on camera body slamming and dragging a high school student across a classroom in front of shocked students, Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott announced today that he was firing Ben Fields.
Lott made his announcement today in a press conference, which is still ongoing and can be seen here
The surprise termination is an about face from the assertion he made on Tuesday that a third video that surfaced shows the student punching, so therefore, he was justified in using force against her.
However, that video, which is likely the one below, shows the student flailing her arms as she was going down.
Lott did not specify if the video he is referring to is the one below, but if there is any such video, he would not have only specified the video, but be sure to pause it to pinpoint the exact moment the muscle-bound deputy was punched by the teenage girl.
The girl, 16, who has not been named, was either using her phone in class, chewing gum in class or being “verbally disruptive,” depending on who you ask.
But even if she had done all of the above, there is still no excuse Field’s violent takedown.
That much is obvious to many Americans, but as always, there is still a large segment of Americans who are justifying his behavior, including holy roller writer Matt Walsh, who frequently uses his Christian pulpit to cast shame and judgement on anybody with whom he disagrees.
Walsh made sure to blame the girl’s parents, not realizing the girl was recently orphaned and living in a foster home, according to the New York Daily News (Colorlines reported that the Daily News misquoted the attorney and that she is not an orphan).
Walsh also took the race-baiting approach by insisting that the uproar about the video was only because Fields is white and the student was black.
While Fields has been sued in the past for alleged profiling against black students, many students have taken to Twitter saying he is just as abusive to all races.
Sheriff Lott also defended the Fields from alleged racism allegations because he has a black girlfriend.
Rather than question whether he is a racist or not, we need to point out the obvious. That he has long been known to be a thug with a badge
A thug with a badge who is now being investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice (both who have long turned a blind eye to such abuse).
A thug with a badge who was known by students as “Officer Slam” for his love of slamming students that did not kiss his ass.
It’s a step in the right direction that Fields was fired, but he deserves to be arrested.
In fact, there is a circulating petition asking South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley and Richland County Solicitor Daniel E Johnson to charge Fields with assault.
Speaking of which, one of the students who recorded the incident, Niya Kenny, was arrested and jailed on a $1,000 bond, charged with “disturbing school.”
That charge is still pending, so somebody should start a petition to have it dropped.
Meanwhile, cops on Police One, a Facebook page for police officer, were outraged, blaming the “media bullies” and saying the student should have been arrested for assaulting an officer and whining that the cop did not get due process.
The irony is astounding as you can see in the screenshots below.
UPDATE: You have to watch this video by a man named Dave Champion who rants about how insane it is for people to still be supporting this cop.
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