High school students are speaking out after cellphone videos show BSO deputies tackling, beating and pepper-spraying teens. NBC 6’s Darryl Forges reports.
The Broward County Sheriff's Office is investigating cellphone videos that show deputies pepper-spraying and tackling teenagers Thursday afternoon outside of a McDonald's in Tamarac.
A witness told NBC 6 that a large crowd of students from J.P. Taravella High School had formed outside of the restaurant before 3 p.m. after rumors that a fight was going to happen.
The fight never occurred, but the witness said deputies arrived and threatened to spray the crowd with pepper spray if they didn't disperse. It's unclear whether BSO units were called out to the scene or if they were already there, BSO said.
The witness said a student was grabbed and handcuffed by a deputy. Another student who was trying to defend the first student approached the deputies and got pepper-sprayed and thrown to the ground, the witness said.
One of the videos shows a deputy punching a student in the head while he was pinned to the floor. Another video later shows the student sitting on the ground, handcuffed and bleeding.
"The next thing you know, his head started bleeding and everything, and while he was getting handcuffed, lil bro got punched in the face by police," one student told NBC 6.
Witnesses said that student was rushed to the hospital. His condition was unknown. A couple of students were hit with pepper spray as well.
Local
BSO said some students were detained and questioned, but it cannot confirm if any arrests were made as a result of this incident.
Further information was not immediately available.
This is a developing story. Check back with NBC 6 for updates.
