Lawyer for S.C. high school student calls for deputy's arrest
COLUMBIA, S.C. -- The Richland County South Carolina Sheriff on Wednesday fired the deputy seen on video violently arresting a high school girl in her math class Monday.
It took fifteen seconds for Deputy Ben Fields to take down and arrest a 16-year-old student. And it was in that moment that he lost his job.
"When I first saw that video, and continues to upset me, when I see that video is that he picked the student up and he threw the student across the room," said Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott. "I can tell you what he should not have done. What he should not have done was throw the student."
The internal investigation included interviews with the teacher and the administrator who requested Fields remove the female student. Lott said they stood by the deputy.
"They supported his actions, they felt like everything he did was correct," Lott said.
Lott said they were even okay with the physical part.
"I'm the one that had problems with it," said Lott.
The female student has not been publicly identified. Her lawyer, Todd Rutherford, said she has a cast on her arm and other scrapes and bruises.
"Deputy Fields is not special," said Rutherford. "He should be treated like anyone else and like everyone else be placed under arrest for assaulting that student."
Sheriff Lott is now questioning whether school resource officers should be acting as disciplinarians.
"Should he have ever been called there? That is something we are going to talk to the school district about," he said.
An attorney for Fields released a statement saying he believed that Fields' actions were justified and lawful throughout the circumstances of which he was confronted during this incident.