The Sheriff says it shows how the school. resource officer acted quickly to contain the situation.
Frederick, Md (KM) Video from the incident last week at the Governor Thomas Johnson High School cafeteria has been released. The 17 second video shows the school resource officer disarming a 14-year-old girl who has an eight to ten-inch knife. The knife is seen falling on the floor.
On Thursday’s “Morning News Express” on WFMD, Frederick County Sheriff Chuck Jenkins was asked why he made this video available to the public. “I felt that this particular incident was so egregious that the public had the right and the need to know,” he said.
‘
He also said this video show how quickly the school resource officer, identified as Deputy 1st Class Dustin Turner in a previous news release from the Sheriff’s Office, went into action. “I wanted the public to see how the resource officer that was there and responded to this so instinctively and effectively responded with a minimum use of force to a situation that could have been fatal,” he says.
Jenkins has been defensive about the School Resource Officer program following calls from some individuals that the police officers be taken out of the schools.
He also said this situation was resolved with a minimum use of force. “The public needs to see this because we’re always faulted in law enforcement for not deescalating situations,:” he said. “If this wasn’t a classic, better-than-textbook example of how to intervene and use a minimum amount of force to control the situation, there is none.”
The 14-year-old girl was subdued by the deputy with the help of school administrators. She was taken into custody, charged as a juvenile with 1st-degree assault, 2nd-degree assault, resisting arrest, disturbing school operations, having a dangerous weapon on school property and reckless endangerment.
By Kevin McManus