A Florida deputy was reassigned, not fired after cellphone footage showed him throwing a teen to the ground and punching him in the head.
Broward County Sheriff’s deputies were responding to a fight that occurred between a large group of students in the Tamarac shopping plaza. According to reports, after the group was told to leave, one male teen wearing a tank top was trespassing and arrested.
The violent interaction between the black minor and white officer was caught on cellphone footage and showed Deputy Christopher Krickovich pepper spraying the boy before he was shoved to the ground and punched in the head.
Krickovich said in his statement that he saw the teen in the tank pick up the cellphone of the teen arrested and take an “aggressive stance” toward another member of law enforcement. He claimed he feared the boy would grab one of his weapons from his belt or vest after he was pushed to the ground.
“At this point, his left arm was free and next to him, while he placed his arm under his face,” Krickovich’s report said. “I struck the male in the right side of his head with a closed fist as a distractionary technique to free his right hand.”
Since the video went viral, Krickovich was placed on administrative assignment. Many after seeing the violent encounter took to social media demanding the officer be terminated.
This is police brutality. https://t.co/ldG7rnTVA3
— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) April 20, 2019
???????????? Our boys go to school in Broward county… man listen ???? The RAGE, the fear, but yall the RAGE… There better be swift punishment against these officers. If you believe in "bad apples" I need alllll the good apples to STAND UP and start hollering https://t.co/UdMnrsVCvA
— Gabrielle Union (@itsgabrielleu) April 20, 2019
Broward County Mayor Mark Bogen released a statement condemning the actions and calling for his termination.
“After being sprayed, the teen held his face and walked away,” Bogen said. “If the deputy wanted to arrest the student, he could have easily done so without throwing him to the ground.”