(ThyBlackMan.com) Recently this month (October, 2015) a school resource officer (former Deputy Ben Fields) attacked a young teenage girl in what he saw as an incident of subduing and arresting her in a classroom. He was wrong. As a former detective, task force commander, executive protection agent, crime prevention specialist, instructor and impact team member who worked with the sheriff’s department, I am saying what Fields did was excessive force, a violation of his oath of office and assault and/or battery. I am bound by truth and facts, not by blue codes that help law enforcement officers get away with breaking the law. I have always believed that and acted accordingly. And I dare any law enforcement officer, regardless of rank, to debate me on what I have said or will say in this article. Any officer whose daughter was treated like the young girl in the video would likely see things in the right way.
Spring Valley High School, Richland County, South Carolina Perpetrator: Former Senior Deputy / School Resource Officer (SRO) Ben Fields
A school resource officer performs different functions than a regular officer on the street. He or she deals primarily with young students who are sometimes obstinate, disrespectful or ambivalent. Therefore a school resource officer (SRO) must all the more have a different skill set with a more patient temperament. This temperament should guide his/her approach in a different way than dealing with a thug on the street – especially when the SRO encounters a noncompliant student.
What concerns me (and should concern you as well) is the number of officers who are bullies, racists, mentally unstable or poorly trained. A badge is not an authorization to bully anyone. A badge is not an excuse to use force when an SRO should know how to de-escalate a situation. The deputy would not dare take such actions in a jail with a 6 ft 5 male who is in for murder. The deputy would use his head instead because of the risks involved. Thus throwing a young teenage girl out of a chair backwards and dragging her across the floor like a rag doll is an act of bullying and police brutality. Any officer who does not see a better way should be fired. He is therefore a danger to students and to the community. This officer has had problems before not and I would be interested to see his training records as well as the results of his psychological exam when he was screened to become an SRO or deputy.
A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER WHO DOES NOT THINK BEFORE HE/SHE ACTS IS DANGEROUS
I recently had to explain all this to a law enforcement officer who agreed with the SRO until we finished our discussion. An officer’s best weapon is his mind, not his fists and not the weapons on his duty belt. Authority requires wisdom and the more authority you 
have, the more wisdom and common sense you need. Therefore the actions of a Senior Deputy, as Ben Fields was, should never be compared to those of a teenage girl. And regardless of other video angles or events prior to the police brutality, the results are the same, his actions are the same and such actions cannot be explained away.
When I was trained by upper level veteran Marshals, I was taught that your best weapon is your mind. The sound mind of an officer can best help assess the threat and devise solutions that minimize both liability and risks to all involved. But that was not what Fields did, not at all. And today too many officers are relying on physical force or physical weapons in order to resolve confrontations. Therefore I suspect we are giving badges to the wrong people, they cannot control their egos and adrenaline, the laws have given officers too much leeway and authority or because officers are not prosecuted nearly enough, they think they can get away with police brutality. But the tide is changing and officers better think twice because cameras are everywhere. Citizens are watching and recording.
I created a FREE EBOOK ON POLICE BRUTALITY (email me at atlantacrimecommission@yahoo.com for a copy) and I teach seminars on how to handle a police encounter. Yes you should comply then handle it lawfully and legally later, but I am not about to blame the victim here. Especially when the victim is a young girl who acted as many teenagers often do. A well trained SRO (the adult) should know not to act just like the teenager. But what if he is not well trained? In the county where I live, sheriff’s deputies go through 10 weeks of training at present. That is NOTHING, not nearly long enough to prepare an officer to handle any and every situation. Therefore the officer tries to follow policy, but he must also use common sense – if he has any. Apparently, since the superintendent did not want this rogue SRO back at any of their schools, the SRO must have done something WRONG. And to all you law enforcement officers, I suggest you take the hint and learn from that situation.
As for the students who wanted to support rogue ex-Deputy Fields SRO, they lack both judgment and knowledge of the law. Fortunately the FBI, the school superintendent, the Chairman of their Board of Education and the Sheriff disagreed with them.
Just like the former deputy may have wanted to make an example out of the student, his ignorance has caused him to be the example of what not to do. So this is a message to all law enforcement officers. The SRO did not think. Therefore he has been FIRED. Not only was he fired, but his actions also placed his department and the school in a firestorm of liability and somebody is going to have to pay out money. His actions may have placed his entire department under a microscope. And if you as an officer cause your department public embarrassment or money, you are likely to be fired, whether you were right or wrong. The national attention has yet again weakened the public confidence in law enforcement. The former deputy is under investigation by the FBI and the U.S. Attorney General and he may be sued in civil court. Personally speaking, I would not hire him as a security guard to work with Otis or DayDay. Now I ask you, what did he gain? Nothing.
PLEASE CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THIS CASE BECAUSE VERY OFTEN DEPARTMENTS REHIRE OR REINSTATE ROGUE OFFICERS AFTER EVERYTHING QUIETS DOWN. THAT MUST NOT HAPPEN!
What made former SRO Ben Fields think he could get away with such a violent act against a teenage girl? Has he done this before? Clearly if he was not wearing a badge and uniform, almost everybody would call this a crime, even law enforcement officers. But the badge, uniform and title do not give an officer the authority to abuse our people. Is it that too many law enforcement officers think nothing will happen to them legally? Part of the blame should go on the grand juries and prosecutors who keep allowing renegade, rogue, racist, bully or mentally unstable officers escape prosecution. That just happened in Georgia. And if you want to see how bad things have really gotten with police brutality, visit www.policemisconduct.net and simply scroll down the page.
What is the solution? Accountability for law enforcement officers. PULL OUT YOUR CELL PHONE CAMERAS AND VIDEO CAMERAS and look for my next article on how to use them strategically and lawfully to get the evidence and protect our people. They didn’t have social media in the 60s, but we have it now. We must use social media and know how to use it without placing ourselves at risk. In my next article I will cover those guidelines or you can email me at atlantacrimecommission@yahoo.com for more information because it is not quite as simple as whipping out your phone and video recording.
Another solution is our STAY ALIVE seminars which are being conducted in all 50 states. We have the most thorough curriculum available to help you know your rights, know the laws that affect everyday life, know how to handle a police encounter and know what to do lawfully to get results if you are a victim of police brutality. We will tell you what law enforcement and attorneys will not.
To schedule a seminar for your group in your city, email us at atlantacrimecommission@yahoo.com or call (470) 338-4264. TELL EVERYBODY AND EVERY GROUP, FRATERNITY, SORORITY, ORGANIZATION OR CHURCH YOU KNOW! Police brutality will stop when we stop it because they are not choosing to stop it on their own. But we must bring about the change swiftly, lawfully, thoroughly and strategically by addressing the laws, the police departments, the courts, the grand juries and the prosecutors.
Sometimes the problems with these officers is coming from the policies of the police department or sheriff’s department itself. A great many officers are being built up, pumped up or stirred up to go out on the streets with an “us vs them” mentality. And they are forgetting they are public servants who are to protect and serve, not to bully and abuse. It is a delicate balance as an officer to be bold and aggressive enough to survive yet strategic and smart enough not to over do it. That involves using just as much common sense as the officer follows policy. But many officers never find that balance.
Here is a major problem or common flaw in law enforcement training. Situational diffusion or de-escalation is neither taught nor emphasized nearly enough in law enforcement training academies. Thus herein lies another source of the problem. Thus officers use their fists and weapons a lot more than they use their heads or common sense. And officers should really take a computerized psychological exam every year. But if they did, we might not have but half as many officers on the street and crime would then increase. A catch 22 that departments therefore leave well enough alone. Yet avoiding a problem because you do not know how to solve it is not a solution to the problem.
YOU CAN BE A VICTIM OF POLICE BRUTALITY, EVEN IF YOU ARE A LAW ABIDING CITIZEN! We have to tackle this problem politically, economically, spiritually and sociologically all at once. Step up now because police brutality can happen to you – yes you. If you encounter a bully, racist, renegade, poorly trained or mentally unstable officer, you will be in danger. It will not matter what you drive, how much money you make, where you live or what degrees you have. There are many good and dedicated law enforcement officers out there. But there are many more bad ones out there than you may be aware of.
Staff Writer; Marque-Anthony
