Silke Jasso
The San Antonio Current reports that San Antonio, Texas, police have launched an investigation into a violent video that appears to show a police officer repeatedly punching a 14-year-old girl in the face before four other officers subdue her and carry her offscreen.
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The eighth grader has been charged with assaulting an officer.
The San Antonio Express-News reports that police first responded to a quinceañera celebration on the northeast side of the city to break up an alleged fight outside the venue. It’s not clear yet whether officers found a fight at the scene or what else led up to the events in the video.
Authorities say they are reviewing body camera footage; while writer Shaun King claims that “5 officers from the department were there on the scene, and all of them now say their body cameras were malfunctioning,” he is the only media source to make that claim and does not cite a source.
A lawyer for the eighth grade student says she has no history of criminal activity, let alone assault.
The mayor of San Antonio, Ivy Taylor, issued this statement in response to the video:
The video made public showing a scuffle between police officers and a girl is hard to watch and to listen to. SAPD is now reviewing body cam video to determine exactly what happened, and Chief McManus is keeping me updated on the ongoing investigation. When I supported funding for body cameras, it was for instances like this, so that we can see exactly what happened and protect officers and citizens.
San Antonio police introduced body cameras last year and said all officers will have them within two years.
