SANTA ANA – The school police officer who was caught on video restraining a sobbing 14-year-old boy did not violate policy when he placed the teen in what appears to be a headlock at Adams Park on April 8.
Santa Ana Unified School District Police Chief Hector Rodriguez told school board members Tuesday evening that the force used on the teen was consistent with the district’s policy and within the authority school police have under the penal code.
“This is not something that we opt (for) at the beginning when we make contact with kids. We certainly want to support our youth,” Rodriguez said at the meeting.
The video, featured in newscasts and online, triggered an investigation by the district’s police department into the officer’s handling of the arrest. The video shows a police officer atop the distraught boy with an arm wrapped around his neck.
Authorities have declined to release the officer’s name, age or work history.
Rodriguez said the boy was vandalizing a bench at Adams Park and attempted to flee when the officer tried to make contact with him. The boy resisted arrest and, during the struggle, bit the officer, Rodriguez said. The boy was arrested on suspicion of vandalism, resisting arrest and assaulting the officer.
The boy, who is not being identified by the Register because of his age, said he bit the officer out of fear.
Outside the meeting, Griselda Lopez, the boy’s mother, did not say much about the officer being cleared but said that, although her son deserved to be punished, he did not deserve to be mistreated.
Nearly 20 people – including mothers, students, teachers and activists – spoke during the public-comment period and voiced support for what they called “restorative justice practices” in their schools and asked for more transparency from the school police department.
Restorative justice, as defined by many activists, encourages victims and offenders to develop empathy for one another and understand the reasons for their actions.
At least one activist asked that officials disband the force and demanded the officer be terminated. Students also held signs that read, “My voice must be heard” and “Give our students respect and dignity.”
“I feel like it’s underestimated how big the impact is because the video was shared a lot … there is a huge amount of distrust between the community members, the youth and the school authorities,” said Pablo Jimenez, 16, a junior at Middle College High School, who suggested a task force be assigned to evaluate the unit’s training.
Contact the writer: amolina@ocregister.com
