'Reprehensible': Brockton community angry over Brockton High student's arrest treatment

BROCKTON — The recent viral arrest video of a Brockton High School student has caused outrage among some in the Brockton community.

And many say they are hoping for solutions to the problems that plague the state's largest high school.

A Brockton school police officer has been placed on leave after video surfaced of him kneeling on a student's neck and back while handcuffing him during an arrest outside Brockton High School on Nov. 17.

'Painful to watch': Brockton cop on leave after kneeling on student's neck during arrest

The officer, who hasn't been identified, was placed on paid administrative leave and Police Chief Emanuel Gomes has launched an investigation into the incident.

"This is about a broken system that has gone on far too long and police officers who not only abuse their power, but get away with it. This isn’t just in Brockton, but all over the country," said Erica Reis, a mother of a student attending the Brockton Virtual Learning Academy.

Reis elected to enroll her child in the virtual program at the start of the year as opposed to in person at Brockton High because she said she felt as though it would be safer for her child to go to school remotely.

She said she is very satisfied that she kept her child in virtual learning this year.

According to the Oct. 12 Brockton School Committee meeting, there were 90 suspensions that took place at Brockton High in the first month of the school year.

The arrest last Wednesday still remains under investigation by Brockton police and Brockton Public Schools, but the officer involved has been placed on paid administrative leave.

Cindy Williams, a spokesperson for Restoration Community Action Ministry, a community organization working toward education reform within Brockton Public Schools, released a statement on behalf of the organization on Thursday.

"This incident is more than egregious!" said Williams, who added that she had heard from public figures in the past that an incident where a police officer kneels on someone's back could not happen in Brockton.

Williams said she doesn't support that the officer is receiving pay on administrative leave and that she'd be in favor of more police accountability along with a community led review board for policing.

Brockton City Council President Winthrop Farwell said use-of-force policies are the responsibility of the police chief and mayor.

"They are not the responsibility of a councilor and I have not taken a position on that subject," he said.

Farwell, a retired Brockton police sergeant, said he believes that "the city is fortunate no incidents like the George Floyd case in Minneapolis, with death resulting, have occurred in Brockton," referring to the statement Restoration Community Action Ministry made about officers placing their knees in the back of citizens they are arresting.

"Any conclusion about this incident by any group or person is premature until the investigation is concluded," Farwell said. "Anyone would want that same standard applied if accused of wrongdoing."

The Brockton Interfaith Community issued a written statement regarding the issue, describing the behavior of the police officer toward the student as "utterly reprehensible and flat out criminal," said Emmanuel Daphnis, board chair of Brockton Interfaith Community.

"While we may not know the specifics of what brought about the interchange and the escalation to the point where the knee of a BPD officer landed on the neck of a Brockton youth, under no circumstances do we see this ever remotely justifiable," Daphnis, a pastor at Restoration Community Church, wrote.

The student was being arrested after he allegedly physically attacked another student. Police say the student was charged with assault and battery and released to his parents.

Daphnis' statement continues to outline the frustration among the Brockton Interfaith Community over the lack of action taken in regard to community input in the revising of the use-of-force policy and a community review board for policing.

In March 2021, the Community Justice Task Force, a group created at Mayor Robert Sullivan's request to address inequities in Brockton, released a 33-page report detailing recommendations across policing, health, education, economic development and housing.

'We need answers': Brockton activists call for feedback from mayor on policing

Among the policing recommendations is the assembly of a community-led review board to look into police interactions with the public along with revisions to the use-of-force policy.

The task force specifically recommended a local, independent, diverse “team” of citizens who can intake, review and initially investigate complaints involving the Brockton Police Department and/or its members.

They also recommended multiple revisions be made to the department's use-of-force policy, including making the language less vague, establishing a failure to intervene policy for officers who observe fellow officers using excessive force and prohibiting the use of no-knock warrants and kinetic weaponry.

In a written statement Daveson Pérez, a spokesperson for Sullivan, told The Enterprise on Monday regarding both statements from Brockton Interfaith Community and Restoration Community Action Ministry that, "The City's existing local use of force policy is also in compliance with state standards, although a proactive review to improve the policy has been undertaken in partnership with the Mayor's Community Justice Task Force."

Last December, Gov. Charlie Baker signed a police reform bill — An Act relative to justice, equity and accountability in law enforcement in the Commonwealth — into law.

It bans chokeholds and says, "A law enforcement officer shall not be trained to use a lateral vascular neck restraint, carotid restraint or other action that involves the placement of any part of law enforcement officer’s body on or around a person’s neck in a manner that limits the person’s breathing or blood flow."

A Brockton police spokesperson said officers have begun training on the new reform laws.

"The process is ongoing as the city is working to implement recommendations from the CJTF that involve police reform, educational, health, housing, and economic equity," Pérez said.

Enterprise staff writer Darvence Chery can be reached at dchery@enterprisenews.com. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Enterprise today.

This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Brockton community members angry over officer kneeling on student