Sigh. It's looking like the increased scrutiny on cops in schools is beginning to pay off. Following
the firing of a a sheriff's deputy in South Carolina for his brutal assault of a high school student, a cop in Oklahoma has now been charged with assault. The officer is alleged to have punched a 16-year-old student in the face. Twice.
Master Sargeant Thomas Jaha, a 25-year veteran of the department, had been acting as a school resource officer at U.S. Grant High School when the incident occurred back on Oct. 9. KFOR-4 reports that Jaha wrote in a police report that the unidentified student took a “fighting stance” toward him after Jaha questioned him about being in the hallway without a pass. Jaha, who is African American, wrote that he felt threatened and defended himself.
Yeah. Uh-huh.
Surveillance footage from the school however appears to show the student running away and attempting to shield himself from an aggressive Jaha.
Paco Balderrama, a captain with the Oklahoma City police department interviewed by KFOR-4, says the department made the decision to turn the case over to the district attorney after reviewing the footage. Jaha is charged with one misdemeanor count of assault and battery. He is currently on paid administrative leave.