Oakland High SRO Allegedly Assaulted Special Needs Student
Police arrested an Oakland High School school resource officer after cameras captured him allegedly beating a student with cerebral palsy in the hallway.
OAKLAND, Calif. – An Oakland High School security officer was fired from his position and arrested by local authorities after video captured him allegedly attacking a special needs student in a wheelchair.
Marchell Mitchell, 23, was a serving as a substitute school resource officer when he began urging students to get to class on time on May 19. Francisco Martinez, 17, who has cerebral palsy, either refused to comply or was slow to obey the order, prompting Mitchell to push Martinez’s wheelchair, Huffington Post reports.
Martinez claims that he tried to push Mitchell’s hand away, prompting the guard to allegedly handcuff the teen to the chair. Martinez then spit on Mitchell, which then led to the alleged attack.
The victim says Mitchell hit him so hard that he flew out of his chair, landing chin first on the ground. He also claims that the guard beat him and threw him to the ground in an elevator.
Mitchell has been charged with corporal injury to a child, which is a felony.
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