A Garland mom says she wants answers following a viral video that shows her daughter being slammed to the ground by a school resource officer at North Garland High School.
Garland Police said the incident is under investigation and the short clip doesn't show everything that happened.
“I was sick to my stomach. I couldn’t handle it,” said Kirk.
LaQuisha Kirk said she became physically ill watching the video. In a 13-second cellphone clip, her daughter, 15-year-old Heaven Kirk, is seen being thrown to the ground by a Garland police officer.
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It happened Tuesday at North Garland High School. Heaven Kirk said there were fights in the hallway. She said when officers responded, she was telling one of the officers to get off her friend. That’s when she said the officer turned to her.
“He comes at me, and he took me to the ground with his hand on my hair and throat. And I’m tussling with him because I don’t know what’s going on,” Heaven Kirk said.
She said she was handcuffed and placed into the back of a police car.
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Garland Police confirmed additional officers were requested to assist campus resource officers when several fights broke out.
In a statement to NBC 5, Garland Police addressed the viral video.
“The Garland Police Department is aware of a recent video that was posted online involving a Garland Police SRO and a student at North Garland High School. The video captures the end of an incident that involved multiple large school fights and assaults, that were occurring simultaneously in the school hallway. GISD sent home 10 students involved in the fight and the school is investigating additional students who may have been involved. The Garland Police Department is opening an internal investigation to ensure officers acted appropriately.”
Police Spokesperson Lt. Richard Maldonado said additional school surveillance video and body camera footage show extended versions of the fights and officers’ response. He tells us several students were interfering with officers while breaking up the fights.
“Listen, this was a very charged, involved situation,” Maldonado said. “We had students fighting, teachers, and administrators trying to break people up, police officers trying to effect arrests, remove people. It was pretty chaotic.”
He said the student fights, as well as the officers’ actions, are all under review, including the point where Heaven Kirk was taken to the ground.
“That’s part of the entire investigation. Again, we want to caution viewers, and just be objective to the totality of everything that was taking place,” he said.
However, LaQuisha Kirk said she’s seen enough and believes the officer’s force was excessive. In addition, Kirk said she was never notified by school officials that her daughter had been detained. The school district did not respond to our questions about whether they contacted parents – only that Garland Police were investigating.
Maldonado asked for patience from the public.
“If there was an issue with the officers on scene, we’re going to address that,” he said.
As for Heaven, Kirk said she doesn’t want her daughter to return to North Garland High School next fall.
Maldonado said the officer in the video is working in an administrative capacity right now. It is unclear whether the officer will return to campus.
As for the body-worn camera footage, we’re told that is being reviewed as part of the internal investigation and will not be released at this time.
