A Florida officer from Kissimmee, Fl. was shown in a video released on Tuesday (Nov. 10), slamming a 13 year-old boy to the ground, and twisting his arm for about 40 seconds.
The incident originally dates back to May 8, which then led to Officer Mario Badia’s arrest and placement on leave that same month. According to the Kissimmee Police Department, Badia plead not guilty to battery and child abuse last month, the Orlando Sentinel reported.
Investigators say that the African-American middle schooler did nothing to provoke the takedown from Badia. The footage shows the boy arguing with his mother, Alexis Richmond, as officer Badia pointed at him, and then proceeded to grab him by his chin; because he didn’t like the way the boy was disrespecting her. He than yanked him down by his arm and twisted it for about 42 seconds, as the boy squirmed in pain. He ended up with a sprained ankle and wrist, said Richmond. The arresting document stated that the boy had never gotten notice of his arrest, or for that matter, “never showed any aggression toward Officer Badia anyway.”
“He came in with such a hostile manner, like he was ready for war,” Richmond told WFTV. “I felt so helpless.”
Despite the police brutality the middle school student had to endure, the Kissimmee Police Department made it its duty to terminate Officer Badia’s employment. “The Kissimmee Police Department did not hesitate to relieve Officer Badia from duty upon viewing the video and opened a criminal and an internal investigation into the incident,” said Kissimmee police spokesman Stacie Miller said in a statement. “The internal investigation found that Officer Badia used improper conduct on duty and excessive force as it is related to our use of force policy. Officer Badia has been given notice of our intent to terminate his employment.”
Badia is set to discuss his termination on Nov. 20, but can appeal it afterward. And his court case is set to start December 7, according to the Sentinel.
Unfortunately, it seems like this has become a trend nationwide where police officers are abusing their authority against students. At Spring Valley High School in Columbia, S. C. last month, Officer Ben Fields was called on a 16-year-old student because she allegedly refused to stop using her cell phone. Afterwards, he yanked her down, and dragged her out her desk. Officer Ben Field was also terminated last month. Still, the violence has to stop. There is a difference between discipline and abuse. Take a look at the chilling video below: