FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - The NAACP held a press conference in Broward County to discuss the viral video of a Broward Sheriff’s Office deputy pepper-spraying a teenager.
In the video, which has drawn nationwide attention, BSO deputy Sgt. Greg LaCerra could be seen pepper spraying 15-year-old Delucca Rolle before he was tackled to the ground on April 18.
Another deputy, Christopher Krickovich, could then be seen punching Rolle and slamming his head on the ground while he lay face down.
Both have been suspended pending an investigation.
The NAACP addressed the media just before 9:30 a.m. on Thursday.
“We want true accountability when it comes to the safety of all citizens, particularly people of color because we are the ones that seem to be on the blunt end of all this abuse and police brutality,” said NAACP Fort Lauderdale/Broward County President Marsha Ellison. “There is no room for deputies such as those who abuse these children, not in BSO or any other organization. What accountability looks like is [BSO Sheriff Gregory Tony] making sure that the discipline goes much farther than a paid vacation and on to termination, which what we believe is in order.”
Rolle’s mother was overcome with emotion as she spoke at the podium.
“The people who I think [are] supposed to protect my children, hurt my child,” said Clintina Rolle.
She described how she felt when she first found out about the video. Clintina said deputies told her that her son had hit a law enforcement officer, but she said that was the other way around.
“I saw the video — like an anxiety attack hit me,” Clintina recounted. “I couldn’t even breathe. I had to hold my chest, cause I said, ‘That ain’t my child. No, that ain’t him.’ My brother said, ‘Yes, that’s your child. I said, ‘They beating him like he’s nobody. They hurting him like he’s an animal.’ I had to take him to Broward Hospital for them to take X-rays. When they take the X-rays, they said my son’s nose was fractured.”
Clintina said her son also suffered head and shoulder injuries and is suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
“My nose hurts a little bit, but I’m just trying to focus on school,” Delucca Rolle told the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump stood at the podium with fellow activists, religious leaders and leaders from the local chapter of the NAACP to talk about expectations moving forward.
“It is the right thing to do to speak up for our children like Delucca Rolle,” he said. “It is the right thing to do to fight for our children like Delucca Rolle. We want it to be clear to the State Attorney that we expect … no, that we demand that you hold everybody accountable on that video who committed a crime.”
The State Attorney and the BSO internal affairs division are both conducting investigations.
“I’m gonna hold my people accountable if they stepped out of line,” said Sheriff Gregory Tony at a commission meeting in Tamarac. “I don’t care if it’s three deputies or 35; they will be held accountable. I will not stand here and be lectured to about the laws of investigative practices because no one up there has the experience that I have. I will not stand here and be held as if I’m a suspect of anything.”
Leaders of the NAACP said they did not like what they heard from Tony at the Wednesday meeting.
“In his rant on yesterday, he spoke about things being built political,” said Ellison. “Perhaps he’s confused about what’s political because he wasn’t elected.”
Tony said everyone involved in the incident has the same goal.
“It comes back to accountability, overall,” Tony said. “No one’s gonna get a pass here. Nothing is gonna be brushed under the table. I’m not interested in protecting who may have something wrong. I think the issue is it’s being verbalized that there was a third deputy involved, but no one’s seen all the different footage that’s available, so it’s consistently been the same two deputies that are of interest for us in terms of our Internal Affairs, and I think it’s also the same interest for the public. If we fall short, deficient or violate any polices, protocols or procedures, they’re gonna be held accountable.”
The group said they don’t want to see the investigation dragging on too long because the proof is in the video.
“We feel that probably another 45 days should be enough for the State Attorney’s Office to dispatch his unit, for them to interview the witnesses, review all the video and come up with a conclusion,” Ellison added.
“Their clock is ticking,” Crump said. “I stand completely with the NAACP.”
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