LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The Clark County School District is investigating a disturbing video posted to Instagram on Thursday. It shows a violent interaction between white school police officers and a group of mostly Black students outside Durango High School.
Sources tell 13 Investigates it happened just after school let out on Thursday, as students were walking toward a nearby fast food restaurant where they often go after school. School police say the incident stemmed from an investigation into a report of a gun near school.
Details are limited as of this report, but the video has sparked on outcry among members of the community, receiving hundreds of comments on social media.
The video begins with two school police officers holding a male student's arms behind his back while walking him to the front of a police vehicle.
Multiple other students are seen recording on their phones. One officer approaches a male student who's recording. The student begins backing up and saying, "Don't touch me." The officer grabs the teen from behind and throws him to the ground between a police car and the curb, while other students begin yelling at the officer to "chill out."
The officer pushes down on the student's neck and kneels on his back. The officer can be heard cursing at the surrounding students, yelling at them to back up, and pushes another student.
"Bro, you can't leave him on the floor like that!" one of the bystanders says to the officer. The handcuffed student shouts, "Hey, hey! Call my mama!"
"I warned you, back up! Back up!" the police officer says, still kneeling on the student's back.
"No, you can't have him on the floor like that, bro!" the student bystander says to the officer, while the officer yells at the student on the ground to stop moving.
CCSD Superintendent Dr. Jesus Jara issued the following statement with regard to the incident:
"Upon viewing the video involving school police and juveniles near a CCSD campus, we are concerned with how one of our students was treated. As with any situation, an investigation will occur to understand all the facts and hold people accountable for their actions. The relationship between our students and school police is extremely important to each school community. The partnership between our students and school police is paramount to school safety and cultivating future relationships."
CCSD Police issued its own statement in response:
"The Clark County School District Police Department is aware of an incident that was recorded involving one of our officers and a juvenile. The incident stemmed from an investigation regarding the report of a firearm near one of our schools. We have initiated an investigation, the department will review all aspects of the interaction, including what transpired before, during, and after the recording. As this matter is under investigation, we are unable to provide any further details at this time. This matter is being taken seriously, as are all interactions between our officers and members of the public who we serve."
13 Investigates spoke to the mother of one of the students involved, who declined to comment on the advice of legal counsel.
KTNV will follow this story to bring you any new developments.
