A 15-year-old student is speaking out after video showed a Miami-Dade Schools Police officer slamming her to the ground. NBC6’s Steve Litz reports
A 15-year-old student and her family are accusing police of using excessive force after video showed a Miami-Dade Schools Police officer flipping her into the air and slamming her to the ground.
The incident happened Wednesday at Miami Edison Senior High School. A fight involving students and parents broke out outside the locker room after a football game.
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Freshman Ikeria Tate says she was nearby in a crowd of people when the officer grabbed her and threw her on the ground.
"It should not have happened," Tate said.
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The video, which was posted on an Instagram story, shows the officer grabbing Tate by the shoulders and flipping her to the ground.
Tate gets back up and the officer grabs her again. Police accused her of attempting to strike the officer.
"Because we all was in a crowd, and when he slammed me, I was trying to, like, hold him before I could get up," she said.
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According to a police report, Tate "became combative and resisted Sergeant Odige by tensing and pulling away. The defendant continued being combative and attempted to strike Sergeant Odige with a closed fist to the face."
"When I got up, he pulled me back down, like slammed me back down, and one of the officers was stepping on my hair," she said. "And then they cuffed me and put me in the back of the police car."
Tate is accused of battery on a police officer and resisting arrest. She is on home detention and is only allowed to leave her house for school, medical treatment, church or in case of an emergency.
Miami-Dade Schools Police said they are investigating the incident.
