Screenshot of Video
The San Antonio school district has opened an investigation after video (below) surfaced yesterday of an officer body-slamming a 12-year-old girl, knocking her unconscious for a short period of time.
The video has made its way to multiple social media sites, adding to a long list of violent police encounters in the past few years. Even though the video surfaced Wednesday, the incident took place on March 29.
According to local news reports for ABC affiliate WFAA 8, the young girl, 6th grader Janissa Valdez, was engaged in a verbal disagreement with a peer when the officer — seen body-slamming the young girl — tried to restrain her.
“This video is very concerning, and we are working to get all of the details,” Leslie Price, San Antonio Independent School District spokesperson, told the San Antonio Express-News in an interview. “We certainly want to understand what all occurred, and we are not going to tolerate excessive force in our district.”
The officer has been identified as Joshua Kehm of Rhodes Middle School.
Janissa’s mother, Gloria Valdez, told local media outlet KENS 5 Eyewitness News that the man was allegedly “threatened by her that she kicked him, but in the video her legs never went up.”
Officer Rhodes’ actions knocked out the young girl. According to Gloria Valdez, “She was, I guess, unconscious. She doesn’t remember being arrested with handcuffs… [she’s] bruised because of how she was hit on the cement.”
Rhodes is on paid leave while the investigation is active. The San Antonio Express-News reports that Janissa was suspended for two days.
This incident join others where young girls have been victims of police brutality.
Last summer, a Black McKinney teenager was manhandled by former Texas cop Eric Casebolt at a pool party. He resigned shortly after video of the incident surfaced. Later in the year, a South Carolina teen at Spring Valley High School was wrestled out of her desk and victimized in a similar manner by Deputy Ben Fields. And more recently, a Baltimore teen at a REACH Partnership School was violently slapped by officers Anthony Spence and Saverna Bias.
All incidents were video taped and have gone viral, resulting in punishment of the officers involved.
