DAVIE, FLA. (WSVN) - A Davie student and his father are speaking out days after the teen was captured on surveillance video being struck by a security guard at his school.
Cameras rolled as the security guard took a swing at junior Tristan Eaton at Western High School, Wednesday.
“I couldn’t even get away from him,” he said. “He swung at me, and he punched me in the jaw. I felt it and it hurt.”
The student’s father, Mario Eaton, was shocked at the footage.
“I was appalled. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing,” he said. “How could this guy have the audacity to swing at a minor?”
The student said the guard was breaking up a fight between his friend Alec Ortega and another classmate when things escalated.
“I’m sitting down. He’s choking me with his two hands, and I couldn’t really do nothing,” said Ortega.
Other students captured what happened after Tristan jumped in.
“I seen Alec’s face and he couldn’t even breathe,” he said. “His eyes were rolling back in his head.”
In the video, the security guard appeared to be grabbing Tristan’s sweater and throwing a punch.
“You see right here, before he even swung on me, he stomped on my foot,” said Tristan.
He is then seen running away from the guard to avoid being seriously hurt.
Tristan’s parents shared photos with 7News, which show the scratches on his neck.
The teen wasn’t disciplined for the incident, but said he was afraid to go back to school for two days.
Adding insult to injury, he said the same security guard was back on the job on Tuesday as if nothing ever happened.
“I go to school today and I see him still there,” Tristan said. “I was trying to stay away from him all day.”
Broward Public Schools released a statement on the matter that reads:
“In response to a complaint regarding the security guard’s actions during the incident, school administrators adhered to procedures for an investigation. Based on an initial review, the employee has not been reassigned at this time. The investigation remains open, therefore no additional information is available.”
The student’s father said that’s not enough. At a minimum, Mario wants to see the security guard removed from the school.
“They shouldn’t be swinging on kids and then choking them,” said Tristan.
While the investigation continues, Mario said he is planning to write a letter to the superintendent.
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