TAMARAC, FLA. (WSVN) - Viral video of a Broward Sheriff’s Office deputy pepper spraying a teenager was the topic of discussion in a Tamarac City Commission meeting on Wednesday morning.
Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony, along with two school board members, addressed the commission board members with opposing views on how the situation that happened on April 18 should be handled.
“I’m outraged. This is becoming the norm in Broward County. We had an African-American girl beat up in Coral Springs a couple of months ago, a 14-year-old,” said Dr. Rosalind Osgood. “Now we have an African-American kid at McDonald’s beat up. We have somebody shoot up a school of 17 kids and they get an escort to jail.”
In the video that has received nationwide attention, BSO deputy Sgt. Greg LaCerra could be seen pepper-spraying 15-year-old Delucca Rolle before he was tackled to the ground.
Another deputy, 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, but Tony placed the two deputies on suspension pending investigation.
All charges were dropped by the Broward State Attorney’s Office on Tuesday against against Rolle, the teenager in the video.
“I think that the same way we saw our community come together for the students in Parkland, I think that the community needs to come together for this issue,” said Broward County Commissioner Michael Udine.
Additional after school activities was brought up as a suggestion to avoid situations like this, where the students had planned a fight outside of the fast food restaurant.
“I recommend that we sit down with the students to figure out what their needs are,” said school board member Lori Alhadeff.
Rolle was originally charged with trespassing, assault on a law enforcement officer and resisting arrest without violence, which are charges Tony did not want to see dropped.
The meeting became heated when Commissioner Marlon Bolton questioned Tony’s decision to suspend only two of the three officers shown in the video.
“This is the conflict aspect that I won’t accept. I will not stand here and be held as if I’m a suspect of anything. I’m going to hold my people accountable. If they stepped out of line, I don’t care if it’s three deputies or 35, they will be held accountable,” said Tony, “but 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, so sir, you’re out of line with the context of what you are demanding from me, and I won’t accept it.”
“That is the same aggression that your officers used when they pushed young people to the ground,” Bolton said in response.
Tony said there is an active investigation into the incident.
“We are looking at every single body cam video from every single deputy. We are looking at the McDonald’s video. There is a ton of things that needs to be done including witness videos and everything else,” said Tony.
“I think that the sheriff needs to display a little bit better leadership next time,” said Bolton during an interview. “When he is in Tamarac, when he is in our house, he should be a little bit more respectful.”
The commission took matters into its own hands and ultimately decided to remove the third deputy.
“We voted so that our city manager can look into ways to removing the third deputy from serving the City of Tamarac at this time,” said Bolton.
“The sheriff did suspend two of the officers,” noted Osgood, “but there was a third officer that showed aggression as well, and no matter how we look at it, child abuse is child abuse.”
Meanwhile, Tony said there are protocols he has to follow and that he needs to give the deputies involved due process.
The Broward County State Attorney Office is now investigating whether any of the deputies will face charges.
Attorney Ben Crump, who now represents Rolle, said the NAACP has since gotten involved in the case.
“We are demanding that the deputies face aggravated assault and battery charges for using unnecessary force against an unarmed, 15-year-old kid,” said Crump.
Crump will be in South Florida Thursday with Rolle’s family and the NAACP to address the media.
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