A disturbing video showing an off-duty Kenosha cop having to put his knee on the neck of a 12-year-old girl while separating a fight at a middle school has caused an uproar in the Wisconsin city where Kyle Rittenhouse killed two individuals in the aftermath of Jacob Blake’s police shooting.
The 17-second viral video shows the officer attempting to separate two girls before being knocked over by a student wearing a rainbow sweatshirt in Lincoln Middle School’s cafeteria last Friday.
He then scrambles to his feet and restrains the pre-teen by placing his knee on her neck, evoking memories of the confrontation that resulted in George Floyd’s death.
The video does not show how long the cop decided to keep his knee on the girl’s neck.
The Kenosha Police Department refused to release the officer’s name, but did confirm that he is 37 years old has been on the police force for 4 years. The officer has not been subjected to any disciplinary action by the KPD.
‘K.P.D. has seen the short clip and has seen the pic that was widely posted to social media over the weekend,’ according to a statement released Monday by the department.
“We are keenly aware of the significant sensitivity surrounding the photo. K.P.D., together with K.U.S.D. is investigating the incident in its entirety while being cautious not to make conclusions based off of a small piece of information shared on social media.”
He had been working off duty for the Kenosha Unified School District (KUSD) at the time of the fight, which is permitted by the police department, but he has since been placed on paid leave from the school, according to KUSD.
“This part-time KUSD employee, who was hired as an off-duty Kenosha police officer, is currently on a paid leave from the district. We appreciate your patience as we work with the Kenosha Police Department to investigate the facts surrounding this incident,’ the school district said in a statement.”
Police said that school district employees who were watching the cafeteria got involved to break up the fight, with one staff member being injured.
A juvenile disorderly conduct charge has been filed against the unidentified girl.
Source: Daily Mail
