Deputy principal allegedly choked out girl while stopping fight
A deputy high school principal in the US is facing criminal charges after he was filmed breaking up a fight between two girls and allegedly using a chokehold that knocked out one of the teens.
Police are seeking to charge Kingstree Senior High School deputy principal Mack Henry Burgess with felony assault and battery after he was filmed manhandling one of the girls in the video published by Kingstree News.
The video recorded May 2 shows the two 15-year-old girls scrapping in the South Carolina schoolyard when Mr Burgess and a security guard run in and try to separate them.
As the two adult men struggle to pull the slap-throwing girls away from each other, Mr Burgess appears to reach his arm around the neck of one girl in an apparent chokehold.
A moment later the girl appears to lose consciousness and fall limply into the deputy principal's arms as an onlooker shouts, "She's out! She's out."
The teen regained consciousness and was taken to hospital with minor injuries, according to the local police report.
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Kingstree Police Sergeant Robert E Lee said after watching video the charges would be necessary.
"That's not even trained to us," he told the newspaper.
"We're not allowed to chokehold anymore. It's very frowned upon for even law enforcement to use a chokehold."
Sgt Lee has sought to charge Mr Burgess and issue an arrest warrant signed next week.
The school district is also examining the incident.
The teen's mother Yolanda Nesmith told WMBF News she wanted to see Mr Burgess arrested in the name of "justice".
"Our kids may do wrong at times, but in a situation like this, I'm asking for all parents if your kids get in a situation, stand up for them," she said.
"I want to seek justice. I want to see him arrested for this because this is my daughter and something could have happened worse than this.
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