AKRON, Ohio — Akron Mayor Shammas Malik held a press conference Monday "to provide details on an incident which occurred last week at Firestone High School between a student and a school resource officer."
According to Malik, the incident happened on the morning of Oct. 16 when a 16-year-old Firestone student bypassed the metal detector as he entered the school. The student was escorted back to the metal detector by the Firestone staff, per the policy that everyone who enters the school must pass through the detector.
Malik said there were two Akron police officers at the school that morning, one was Firestone's school resource officer (SRO) and the other was there on a "secondary employment shift."
"Surveillance camera footage from the school depicts the student being directed towards the metal detector several times. At one point, the student attempts to circumvent the officers. The officers grapple with the student. During this interaction, one of the officers punches the student in the head several times," Malik stated.
According to the police report filed by the school resource officer, the student was carrying a cell phone (which is not allowed in the school) while he was going through the metal detector.
The SRO stated in the report that he decided it was necessary to arrest the student in order to prevent him from entering the school after several attempts to get him to clear the detector fully and properly failed. The SRO and the other officer tried to bring the student to the ground to "gain better control of him," but were unsuccessful.
"After 25 seconds of fighting, I threw three punches toward the side of (the student's) the head with my right hand and a closed fist," the SRO reported, citing concerns that the fight could have grown with other students becoming involved or that he and the other officer could have become fatigued. The student was eventually taken into custody.
You can watch surveillance video given to 3News by our media partner Signal Akron below.
While Malik referred to the video footage as "upsetting," Akron Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Michael Robinson called the action taken by the SEO as "unacceptable."
Malik told reporters that Akron Public Schools asked that the school resource officer be removed from Firestone and the SRO program per its agreement with the city of Akron and Akron Police Department. That officer has been assigned to "administrative duty" as the city looks to find a new SRO for Firestone. The other officer is on his regular patrol shift.
Initially, the student was charged with resisting arrest, obstructing official business, and trespass. However, Malik said the Summit County Prosecutor's Office agreed to drop the charges while a use-of-force investigation takes place.
You can watch Monday's press conference below.
AKRON PUBLIC SCHOOLS REACTION
3News reached out to Akron Public Schools about the incident and received the below statement from Akron Board of Education President Diana Autry:
"Until the full board is apprised and reviews the video, there will be no comment on the specific incident that occurred at Firestone CLC. That being said, education and the safety of our children and faculty is the top priority. The district has made significant investments in safety over the last few years. While equipment is an important part, relationships are at the core of building a culture of safety and belonging in our schools. We thank our safety teams who carry out this valuable work on a day to day basis. We appreciate the Akron Police Department's role on those teams. APS exists to serve children and their best interests, which includes safe spaces to grow, learn and even make mistakes. The APS Board does not condone violence against our children or faculty. The APS Board expects our scholars to leave our buildings with knowledge, credentials, college credits and diplomas, not criminal charges or injury. Now is a time to re-evaluate our safety policies, practices and attitudes towards our children. Now is a time to distinguish the roles of school security vs street policing, as there is a clear difference. We fully expect a re-examination of our partnership and practices with the city and police, to assure alignment with district goals and expectations.
"On Feb 12th the BOE unanimously passed a resolution of support for the City of Akron's search for a police chief, specifically stating in the 3rd whereas: the Board of Education recognizes the importance of a strong working relationship between police and citizens, it further recognizes the need for the next chief to possess a faithful commitment to improving these relationships. Moreso, we emphasize this with specific regard to the black and brown community which comprises more than 50% of the students we serve;
"Our children are depending on us, to provide their best possible future."
The district also posted the below release on its Facebook page.
DiCELLO LEVITT REPRESENTING FAMILY
Hours after the press conference, DiCello Levitt's Bobby DiCello and Ken Abbarno announced that they have been retained by the family of the student who was struck by the school resource officer.
“He is a child. And no child deserves to be punched in the face by an adult, especially when that adult happens to be an Akron police officer,” said DiCello in a statement. “Arrests by the Akron Police Department must not be a source of needless violence against the men, women, and children of the City of Akron. An arrest must follow proper procedures, not be driven by an officer’s rage, because if we let that rage be the standard that dictates how people in Akron are treated, our Constitution will be torn to shreds.”