The Boynton Beach, Florida police department is going to have a hard time explaining this.
According to Gawker, two sixth grade students were taken off a school bus for minor behavioral issues when police arrived. In the cell phone footage, both students can be seen with their hands behind their backs while one officer appears to be holding a student in a chokehold.
Students look on in shock as one of the teens is later kicked by the police officer in effort to sit him down. Boynton Beach Police released a statement regarding the incident and have put one of the officers on administrative leave:
“We are investigating the circumstances surrounding this situation and have placed one of the officers on administrative duty. We are concerned as to the initial appearance of the video, and despite the fact that we have received no formal complaints at this time, we are committed to reviewing the situation in its entirety and taking whatever action is deemed most appropriate at the conclusion of our investigation.”
Kevens Jean Baptiste, the student who was tripped by the police officer, says that he broke the rules of the bus by lowering his window. Baptiste says that his asthma was acting up and he couldn’t breathe. He also maintained that the police officer who manhandled him should be fired.
“They said don’t speak when I was spoken to. And the lady spoke to me, said be quiet. And he slammed me. Simple as that,” Jean Baptiste said.
The student says his parents plan to file a report with police today.
