NORTH CHARLESTON, SC – Multiple students have been charged and two officers are injured after a fight on a bus in North Charleston.
Black Lives Matter has released new cellphone video of the incident, which happened at around 4 p.m. Thursday when the bus was in the Remount Road area.
Police say three students were in court today with charges connected to the fight, including assault on law enforcement while resisting arrest and interfering with the operations of a school bus.
A student says several students were fighting in the back of the bus and ignoring calls from the bus driver to come to the front.
The bus driver then called base and the police responded.
Police said that they saw students fighting, pulling each other’s pants down, and yelling that they needed “A black bus driver.”
One student refused to give the officer his name and became belligerent, cursing and fighting the officers as they tried to handcuff him.
More students began to join the fighting as police escorted the first belligerent student off the bus.
Police pointed a taser at a student who charged at them before getting the students under control.
Elder James Johnson with the South Carolina National Action Network said that he believes the North Charleston police officers did the right thing in this incident.
He says that parents should teach their children the behavior of the teenagers in this incident is unacceptable.
“That kind of disrespect, we see it as actually lack of educating our kids. We have to do something in Charleston County schools. The community and the school system have to work together to actually get out there and do a better job of educating our kids. If we don’t do that, that will not stop,” said Johnson.
Multiple students were charged in connection with the incident. One officer was treated for injuries on his right hand and another officer was treated for injuries on his left hand.
Also, in response to this incident, Black Lives Matter of Charleston posted on Facebook, “Mayor Keith Summey, keep your dogs away from our children! North Charleston Police Department we see you!”
Mayor Keith Summey then posted the following statement on Facebook:
“It’s a sad day when our police officers are accused of abuse for removing unruly, disruptive, and resistance teenagers from a school bus. Our officers were called to the scene by the bus driver and proceeded to remove the students that were identified by the bus driver. During the process, several students became resistant and combative. What are our officers to do? Turn around, say, “good day” and leave? No, the officers followed protocol and removed the problem from the school bus. Now, let’s look who is alleging abuse. A local organization whose leaders believe our police officers are dogs and will use any opportunity to attempt to discredit the hard working men and women of the police department. Where’s the civility and common sense?”