Police officer who slammed sobbing black 11-year-old boy into wall charged with assault

Footage shows shows victim being lifted up and flung to ground

A sheriff’s deputy who was caught on camera slamming an 11-year-old boy to the floor at a middle school in North Carolina has been charged with three misdemeanours, a local prosecutor said.

The prosecutor, district attorney Michael D Waters, said the officer, Warren Durham, faced charges of assault on a child under 12, child abuse and failure to discharge his duties.

The episode occurred on Thursday at Vance County Middle School in Henderson, North Carolina, about an hour’s drive north of Raleigh, where Mr Durham had served as a school resource officer.

Video published on social media and local news sites on Friday showed him slamming the student to the ground twice, then dragging him along the floor.

On Monday, the Vance County sheriff, Curtis Brame, said the officer was no longer on the force.

The sheriff called in the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation to determine whether charges were warranted.

Mr Waters said the student had been examined at an emergency room and in a follow-up visit, and he had not sustained serious injuries.

Authorities could not charge the officer with a felony because of the lack of serious injuries, Mr Waters said.

The sentence for the misdemeanours could vary based on a defendant’s prior convictions. If none exist, the maximum penalty would be 90 days, he added.

The officer turned himself in to authorities on Tuesday and was released on $10,000 (£7,600) bond, Mr Waters said. He is due back in court in February.

The boy’s grandfather, Reverend John Miles, told reporters at a news conference on Tuesday that he was disappointed the officer had not been charged with a more serious crime.

“I stand broken. I’m hurt. I’m concerned,” he said. “I cannot change the law on the books, but I’m going to make it my business to be in Raleigh next week to find out how in the world could a law be on the books like this, the way my grandson was treated.”

Mr Waters said after the episode came to light, another parent said their child had also “had an incident” with Mr Durham on Thursday, and authorities were investigating the claim.

“No student should ever experience this in any way, especially not in our schools,” he said.

The New York Times