A Texas school police officer seen throwing a 12-year-old girl to the ground on video was fired Monday for his “absolutely unwarranted” conduct, officials said.Footage surfaced online last week of Officer Joshua Kehm subduing Janissa Valdez March 29 at Rhodes Middle School in San Antonio. Police said she and another girl were about to fight in a hallway that afternoon when Kehm intervened.
District officials promised a full investigation, and they decided Monday to terminate Kehm’s employment, effective immediately, said San Antonio Independent School District Superintendent Pedro Martinez. “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,” Martinez said in a statement.
“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. We want to be clear that we will not tolerate this behavior.” Texas school police officer fired for ‘absolutely unwarranted’ body slam of 12-year-old girl