TAMARAC, FLA. (WSVN) - All charges have been dropped against a teenager who was pepper-sprayed in a viral video recorded outside of a Tamarac fast food restaurant.
The Broward State Attorney’s Office announced they will not file charges against 15-year-old Delucca Rolle, Tuesday.
Rolle, his family and Sue-Ann Robinson, their attorney, could be seen walking into the State Attorney’s Office in Fort Lauderdale, earlier Tuesday.
The incident happened at a McDonald’s parking lot along the 8700 block of North Pine Island Road when a group of students arrived to see a planned fight on April 18.
“I’m glad that the right thing was done by the state attorney, and I’m glad that they didn’t waste time by having him sitting with these charges on him,” Robinson said. “He was a victim. He was abused. That’s how he feels.”
After a Broward Sheriff’s Office deputy, later identified as Sgt. Greg LaCerra, pepper-sprayed the 15-year-old, he was then tackled to the ground. Another deputy, later identified as Christopher Krickovich, could then be seen punching Rolle and slamming his head while he lay face down on the ground.
A union representative said the deputies reacted as they were trained.
Krickovich was placed on administrative leave, and LaCerra was placed on restricted assignment because of the incident. However, in a statement released Tuesday, BSO Sheriff Gregory Tony said the two deputies have been suspended pending investigation.
“As we continue to gather information in our internal investigation, I have decided to change the deputies’ status from restricted administrative assignment to a suspended status as our investigation continues,” Tony said.
Rolle was originally charged with trespassing, assault on a law enforcement officer and resisting arrest without violence.
Robinson is working with civil rights attorney Ben Crump.
Crump has represented Trayvon Martin’s family and, most recently, the family of Corey Jones, the drummer killed by a Palm Beach Gardens Police officer.
Crump released a statement to 7News which read:
“It is unconscionable what we’ve seen happen to Lucca at the hands of local law enforcement who are sworn to serve and protect. Once again, we see that this promise does not extend to people of color. One would hope that an unarmed 15-year-old child would not be treated in this brutal manner, no matter the circumstances.”
Protesters could be seen Monday outside of BSO headquarters near Fort Lauderdale. The hashtag #justiceForLucca has been trending on Twitter, and celebrities, like former Miami Heat forward LeBron James, have weighed in on the incident.
A petition on change.org, which has demanded Tony to fire the two deputies, has garnered over 50,000 signatures.
Broward Chief Assistant Public Defender Gordon Weekes said, “An officer is a professional, and they’re entrusted with great and awesome power, and with that power, they need to have some restraint. This community demands better for our children and much, much better from law enforcement.”
BSO will continue to investigate the incident.
“The next step is to make sure the case is thoroughly investigated,” Robinson said. “I just want accountability, not just officer accountability but human accountability. He’s a kid, and he obviously was unarmed and not involved in anything.”
The NAACP is planning on holding a news conference on Thursday to discuss the case.
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