A high school resource officer is under investigation in South Carolina after shocking footage emerged of him allegedly striking a young baseball player over the head with his taser.
The horrifying incident is believed to have unfolded earlier this week following the private Pee Dee Academy’s 7-0 victory over Lee Academy in Mullins, Marion County.
‘We’ve turned the matter over to the State Law Enforcement Division for investigation,’ said Marion County Sheriff’s Office representative Tammy Ervin.
‘The deputy in question has been reassigned pending SLED’s investigation.’
Video of the incident has since gone viral on social media. It shows the officer holding his taser in his right hand, while his left arm is wrapped around the neck of the player in a chokehold.
The officer then angrily uses his taser to strike the youngster, seemingly named Andrew, around the side of his head. The player looks visibly shaken and is left wincing due to the pain.
A high school resource officer is under investigation for striking a baseball player with his taser
The officer had the player in a chokehold while confronting the group of angry parents
It’s unclear what started the situation but the officer has since been reassigned by officials
A group of angry parents is surrounding the officer and player and reacted furiously to the violent strike. One can be heard shouting: ‘What the f***’s wrong with you?’
Another shouts: ‘You gonna lose your pension over that one, homie.’
The officer claims he only lashed out because the player was continuously standing on his foot with his cleats.
In the footage, the terrified player is urged to get down on his knees by parents to prevent further escalation.
The officer can then be seen on the video asking: ‘Where is the other fella at?’
A man in handcuffs then walks in front of the camera, although it’s unclear why.
One adult, standing off to the side, appears to suggest that a parent threatened to strike the officer earlier on. It’s unclear what exactly sparked the situation.
