"School resource officer Ben Fields was terminated from the Richland County Sheriff's Department," said Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott.
A little more than 48 hours after video emerged of South Carolina Sheriff's Deputy Ben Fields throwing a student to the ground in a Columbia classroom, Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said Fields has been fired.
In a news conference Wednesday, Lott broke down the timeline of events, which, in his words, began with a "very disruptive student." He walked a fine line, placing blame on both the female student for initiating the incident and Fields for not handling the situation properly. (Video via YouTube)
Lott said a teacher and a school administrator at Spring Valley High School gave statements supporting Fields' actions. Lott said one video shows the student hitting Fields but ultimately, the sheriff's deputy lost control. (Video via WOLO)
"Deputy Fields did not follow proper training; he did not follow proper procedure when he threw the student across the room," Lott said.
The student's attorney told news outlets the 16-year-old girl who was thrown by Fields suffered injuries and her arm is in a cast. (Video via WIS-TV)
Lott added that Fields isn't facing criminal charges at the moment, and if he does, those will come from the FBI. Two students were arrested in the incident Monday, and both face charges for disturbing the classroom. (Video via YouTube)
