In March, Deseret News reported on an incident in Wisconsin where a school officer placed his knee on the neck of a 12-year-old student in order to restrain her during a fight that broke out in the school cafeteria. The student is now being charged with disorderly conduct, her lawyer reported to CNN.
What’s new? “A juvenile delinquency petition has been filed against Jane Doe in Kenosha County,” the student’s attorney, Drew DeVinney, told CNN. Since the student is a minor, her identity and the legal documents of the case are largely confidential.
- The Kenosha Police Department confirmed to CNN that disorderly conduct charges were given to both students involved in the fight.
- DeVinney told CNN that “the girl was offered a ‘diversion,’ however it would have required her to ‘admit to the charge, which was untenable.’” According to DeVinney, the penalty would have been similar to probation, but he said it was ‘untenable because she is not guilty.’”
What happened? Per previous Deseret News reporting, two students from Kenosha, Wisconsin, were involved in a fight in a school cafeteria in March.
- An off-duty school officer intervened in the fight, pulling the students apart. The officer scuffled with the aforementioned Jane Doe, eventually restraining her on the ground with his knee on her neck for about 25 seconds. She was then handcuffed and escorted away by the officer.
- The officer resigned from his position with the school in March, but continues to be employed with the Kenosha Police Department, according to CNN.
The bigger picture: Chokehold restraints were made illegal in Wisconsin in 2021, The Associated Press reported.
- The restraint the Wisconsin officer used on the student has been compared to the way Derek Chauvin restrained George Floyd, which led to Floyd’s death in 2020, according to Deseret News.