Little Elm School: Officials respond to video of cops allegedly using stun guns on students
Several videos of cops breaking up a student-led protest held on Friday, November 19, at a high school in Little Elm, Texas, went viral after police were seen using stun guns and pepper spray on students. Texas city officials have now responded to the video claiming the tape "lacked the context required" to comprehend what happened.
Little Elm Mayor Curtis Cornelious and Little Elm Independent School District (ISD) Superintendent Daniel Gallagher released a joint statement on Friday's events at Little Elm High School, claiming that some studentsattacked cops and targeted particular persons in the school.
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In a video broadcast on social media, Gallagher stated, "This rally on Friday was not peaceful and created a big disturbance." "A huge number of students attempted to break into an administrator's office in pursuit of targeted people who were in actual fear for their safety in one instance not now broadcast on social media."
In the video, Cornelious can be seen saying, "one student, assaulted a male police officer, while another student assaulted a female cop. One cop was brought to a hospital, but no details on their injuries were provided." During the event, four students, all of whom were minors, were detained.
A third student was pepper-sprayed and then tased after attempting to interfere with the arrest. "When the student would not stop coming toward the officer," the student was pepper-sprayed and then tased. According to him, a fourth student spits on an officer, which is illegal in Texas. Multiple social media videos show a confrontation between police officers and students in a corridor, in which one student appears to get pepper-sprayed and then tased.
The protest was in response to a sexual assault complaint made last month against a student who, according to other classmates, was reprimanded for reporting the alleged attack. Refuting the reprimanding claim, Gallagher "No student suffered disciplinary action for reporting sexual misbehavior in this instance," Gallagher said, adding that the students' support for the alleged victim was based on "misinformation."
Little Elm Police examined the complaints, according to Cornelious and Gallagher, but found there was insufficient evidence to prove a crime. According to Gallagher, the campus administration and school resource police were prepared to facilitate a peaceful demonstration. Gallagher said the school system will assess the protest and undertake a follow-up inquiry into the sexual misconduct claim that spurred the walkout.
He also stated that the school system will form an independent committee to examine its sexual harassment reporting and investigative procedures. On November 30, the school system will organize a listening session for parents and community members to express their concerns and ask questions.