A California deputy was filmed slamming a teenage girl and nearly knocking her unconscious in a brawl after a game at Victor Valley High School on Friday, Sept. 22.
According to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, deputies responded to Victor Valley High School around 6:28 p.m. Friday after receiving reports of a fight.
A portion of the fight was captured on cellphone video, which shows a deputy grabbing a 16-year-old girl and slamming her to the ground.
The sheriff’s department said a deputy deployed pepper balls toward the ground in an effort to disperse the crowd. The effort was “ineffective,” and people began moving toward him, investigators said.
“As additional deputies arrived, another pepper ball round was deployed toward the subjects and a 16-year-old female grabbed the pepper ball launcher,” read a statement released by the sheriff’s department. “A deputy pulled the female away causing her to land on the ground.”
Priscilla Jeffers, the girl’s mother, spoke with Eyewitness News on Sunday, Sept. 24, and provided photos of her daughter in the hospital. She said she arrived at the school Friday evening as the fight was happening.
“I pulled in and I saw my daughter on the floor and at that moment, I didn’t know if she was dead or what was going on with her,” she said.
Investigators also said during the altercation, a 16-year-old boy punched one of the deputies in the face.
However, the mother of the boy told ABC7 her son did nothing wrong and showed photos of his injuries that she claims were caused when deputies punched him in the face.
“I never got a call from them or anything saying they were arresting my son even though he is a minor,” the mom told Eyewitness News. “I still, at this point, don’t know where my son is.”
The sheriff’s department said the boy was arrested and booked into the High Desert Juvenile Hall. The department said a report will be forwarded to the district attorney’s office for review of charges against the two.
The parents of the teenagers are saying the deputies used excessive force.
Meanwhile, a protest over the confrontation was held Sunday afternoon outside of the Victorville police station on Amargosa Road. A disturbance erupted when someone in the crowd got into an altercation with deputies who were trying to control the crowd.
A couple of people were seen confronting and shoving law enforcement members.
A spokesperson for the sheriff’s department released a statement on the protest saying, “While the Sheriff’s Department supports the public’s right to peaceful protests, violating California penal codes and vehicle codes are not protected by the First Amendment. Our deputies will be enforcing the law and arrests will be made if applicable. As of now, no arrests have been made related to the protest.”
The incident remains under investigation.
Watch the video here.
