Brockton Police Officer Investigated After Video Shows Him Kneeling On Student
BROCKTON (CBS) - A Brockton High School police officer has been placed on administrative leave while an investigation is underway into his handling of the arrest of a student who has been charged with assault.
The scuffle has gone viral on social media. It shows the officer with his knee on the back of 16-year-old Djason Rodrigues as he handcuffs him after the teen allegedly assaulted another student. Rodrigues tells WBZ-TV he is upset about what happened and has a cut on his face from the encounter.
His father Danielson Rodrigues says he is "sad" about what happened and is still trying to understand the circumstances, but believes the officer went too far. "What police did wasn't right, grabbing him and scratching him and all that," he said.
It happened during a school lunch break when police say the officer stepped in to detain Rodrigues. Other students say they've seen discipline before, but not like this. "The officer did it in a completely different way than others," said senior Vincent McKeon. "I felt like he could have handled it another way, that the force was unnecessary," said senior Jorge Bodilla.
In a call to Brockton High School parents, Superintendent Michael Thomas told them, "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."
Djason Rodrigues has been charged with assault and battery. Brockton police are determining if proper rules and procedures were followed.
