“Beaten Like a Dog”: Family Speaks Out After Teen’s Violent Arrest at California School

A police officer of the Northern California police department has grabbed attention for brutally beating up a teen in Fairfield. The arrestee was a high-school student who was taken into custody by the officer in charge using excessive force. According to eyewitnesses and the parents of the teenager, he was ‘beaten like a dog’.

The incident has caused a massive uproar and questioned the protocols that are usually followed by the police department.

The violent arrest of high-school teenager Maurice Williams has sparked much unrest among people. The 16-year-old was struck on his head seven times whilst being pinned to the ground by the Northern California police officer Bianca Camacho.

The incident which sparked the heated moment between the officer and Williams occured on May 20. It unfolded within the campus of Fairfield High School shortly after noon, when a multi-student fight broke out. Officer Camacho happened to be the only security backup in the vicinity who jumped in to sort out the matter.

The moment Officer Camacho began delivering the brutal blows to Williams’ head, it was entirely captured on camera. According to reports, the teenager suffered severe headaches and dizziness after the arrest.

Ever since the arrest video of Maurice Williams has gone viral on social media, a former arrestee who Officer Camacho similarly assaulted, broke her silence. 19-year-old Myah Hamilton remembered going through a similar ordeal a year back. It was the same officer who pulled her from the car by her hair at a traffic stop.

The reason for her arrest was underlined as speeding and failure to yield to emergency lights. Hamilton sympathized with Williams and noted, “The same thing that happened to that poor boy happened to me. She should have never been able to continue to be a police officer; they call you guys peace officers to bring peace, not to sit there and bring commotion and cause more problems than there already were.”

Several people, including Williams’ family, demanded the officer’s removal from the department. But it has not been carried out. Instead, a statement by the Fairfield Police Chief claimed that she had been administratively reassigned to a different department.

The decision clearly showcased that no legal or disciplinary action was taken against her. The Police Chief further remarked, “The officer has been administratively reassigned in the department as we navigate this emotional and challenging time.”

After the police department delivered a controversial and brief statement about the incident, several community heads voiced their dissatisfaction with the resolution offered.

For instance, one of the parents who witnessed the incident later remarked, “It's scary. It's scary for us as parents. We've got to protect our kids. They should be worried about sports and school. They shouldn't be worried if the police are going to beat them up.” The Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District has also announced that it would launch an independent investigation of the incident.