A Wake County, N.C., grand jury has declined to charge a Rolesville High School officer for throwing a 15-year-old female student to the ground.
WTVD reports that Ruben De Los Santos was caught on video interacting with the teen on Jan. 3. The 8-second video shows a group of students gathered when De Los Santos picks up the teen and slams her to the floor.
Officials say a fight between students occurred shortly before the incident. It reportedly involved the teen who was thrown to the ground.
Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman made the announcement. She said the grand jury declined presentments sent by her office for willful failure to discharge duties and assault on a female.
“Our law enforcement officers are engaged daily in difficult interactions where they often are required to intervene. As they strive to maintain the peace and protect our community, it’s important that proper and legal boundaries on the use of force are followed,”Fereman said. “I commend Chief of Police Bobby Langston for his willingness to invite an unbiased review of this matter and for his commitment to maintaining the public trust of his community.”
The teen returned to class following the incident, but was later taken to the hospital where she was treated for a concussion.
Earlier this month, De Los Santos resigned from the Rolesville Police Department. North Carolina’s State Bureau of Investigations is looking into the incident.
