MCKINNEY (WBAP/KLIF News) – A McKinney high school teacher is under fire after showing a video of the incident where a student was dragged to the ground and pinned down by an officer at a pool party to a criminal justice class.
The incident, which took place in June of 2015, sparked a national outcry and highlighted the country’s issues with police brutality.
Kim Cole is the attorney for Dajerria Becton and her family. She said her client was traumatized by the incident, which thrust the teenager into the national spotlight.
“I think anyone who lived in McKinney knows what happened at the pool party and can understand how devastating that would be for a 15-year-old little girl,” she said.
Cellphone videos taken by the people who attended the pool party show former McKinney police officer Eric Casebolt, who is white, running after black teens and ordering them to the ground.
He drew his weapon on some of them and dragged Dajerria to the ground and kneeled on her back and neck.
The Becton family filed a lawsuit against Casebolt, the McKinney Police Department and the City of McKinney alleging that the officer used excessive force and that the city failed to properly train its police force.
Cole said the teacher’s intent was good but the judgement was poor.
“I think there are plenty of things that can be learned from the video tape of that incident but to teach that class while she is still a student here is terribly insensitive,” she said.
The district has apologized for the incident and has met with Cole and spoken to the family.
The teacher will not be punished but has been told not to play the video again.
Copyright 2017. WBAP/KLIF News. All Rights Reserved.
