A shocking video of a Florida sheriff's deputy body-slamming a Black high school student into a concrete floor—appearing to knock her unconscious—sparked widespread outrage online.
The incident occurred at Liberty High School in Osceola, Florida while the school resource officer was attempting to separate the student during a fight with a classmate, according to witnesses.
The video of the altercation went viral for its shocking brutality.
WARNING: video contains violence
In the video, the deputy can be seen hurling the young woman to the ground.
An audible thump can be heard as she hits the concrete floor. The teen appeared to be unconscious following the body slam, and did not seem to move or react at all as the deputy put her in handcuffs.
The Osceola County Sheriff's Office confirmed via spokesperson Nirva Rodriguez that the deputy in the video is in fact one of their employees. She told The Orlando Sentinel an investigation was launched into the incident upon being sent videos of it by the Osceola County School District.
As the Sheriff's Office told TMZ, which first posted video of the incident:
"Our office is in the initial stages of our investigation. We are collecting video, witness statements, and relevant information related to the incident."
According to The Orlando Sentinel's reporting, the incident seems likely to be well outside the bounds of the Sheriff Office's acceptable procedures.
"The Osceola County Sheriff's Office's use of force policy dictates officers use 'the minimal amount of force necessary to perform official duties.'
"It further states deputies should only use force in certain situations when the person has not responded to verbal commands, including in cases of self-defense, when defending someone or when there is a 'credible threat to public safety.'"
On Twitter, people were outraged by the shocking violence of the incident.
As of this writing, no information was released about the condition of the student. The school district has declined to comment on the incident.
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