School resource officer in Arkansas ‘relieved of duty’ following apparent chokehold
A school resource officer in Arkansas has been “relieved of duty pending an investigation,” Camden Police Chief Boyd Woody said, after a video surfaced online of the officer apparently holding a student in a chokehold.
The video, which was posted on Facebook, starts with the officer already holding the student in what appears to be a chokehold. The student’s feet dangle off the ground while other students watch. The video shows the officer loosen his hold and lead the student out of the frame in a side headlock.
The video has since been removed from Facebook.
In a statement Monday, Woody said: “I was notified by my staff that there had been an incident this morning at the Camden High School involving a Camden Police Officer.” Wood said he was shown a video of “Officer Jake Perry in an altercation with what appears to be a student.”
CNN has reached out to Perry.
In an email to CNN on Tuesday, Woody said Perry was assigned to the high school as a school resource officer when “a fight between a couple of student{s} broke out.”
“Officer Perry intervened and at some point during that is when a student videoed a portion of the incident,” Woody said.
Woody said he immediately ordered a professional standards investigation, and Perry “was relieved of duty until the completion of the investigation.”
“I take this very seriously and am working as quickly as possible,” Woody told CNN.
“As the Police Chief, I will not tolerate misconduct from my officers and this matter will be dealt with accordingly and I will be transparent in doing so,” Woody said in his statement.
In a statement, Camden Fairview School District Superintendent Fred Lilly said the district will cooperate with the police investigation. The district will also work with police to ensure that policies and procedures for school resource officers at the school are reviewed and revised, if needed, Lilly said.
“CFSD’s first priority is, and will continue to be, to provide an excellent education to all of our students in a safe environment,” Lilly said.
Camden is southwest of Little Rock.
