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excessive force
Texas officer who body slammed 12-year-old girl is fired
An investigation into the incident is ongoing.
A TEXAS SCHOOL police officer who was filmed body slamming a 12-year-old girl has been fired.
Joshua Kehm lost his job after footage showed him throwing Janissa Valdez to the ground at Rhodes Middle School in San Antonio on 29 March.
The San Antonio Independent School District initially placed Kehm on paid leave but has now confirmed he has been fired.
A statement on the organisation’s website notes that an investigation is ongoing and Kehm has been fired, effective immediately.
SAISD superintendent Pedro Martinez said: “As educators, it is our responsibility to provide a safe environment for all of our students.
We understand that situations can sometimes escalate to the point of requiring a physical response; however, in this situation we believe that the extent of the response was absolutely unwarranted.
“Additionally, the officer’s report was inconsistent with the video and it was also delayed, which is not in accordance with the general operating procedures of the police department.”
Martinez added that the organisation does not tolerate the type of behaviour shown in the video, which has been widely shared online.
We want to ensure the public’s trust in this investigation, that it is being conducted without any perception of bias.
“We all want to make sure this kind of incident does not occur again, and we will seek to identify areas where improvement may be needed,” Martinez said.
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