DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A DeKalb County Schools district police chief is on paid leave after shocking video shows him body-slamming a student before arresting him.
A source within DeKalb County Schools confirmed on Tuesday.
The father of the student, Richard Stephens, was speechless and said he had not even seen the video.
DeKalb County Schools Police Chief Bradley Gober was seen on surveillance, at Redan High School, coming up behind the 17-year-old student and forcing him to the ground.
According to DeKalb County School’s police source, he was assisted by a major.
Both of them struggled to put handcuffs on the student and when they finally did, they lifted him up and he was taken out of view.
“I didn’t know nothing about it... the school didn’t say nothing about that...I didn’t even know that he was arrested,” said Stephens.
He said he found out from friends his son was taken to DeKalb County Jail where he spent the weekend behind bars on charges of obstruction and damaging school property.
“I spoke to him and he said he don’t know and why they did it. I just gotta look into it... I need to see the Chief. I need to see somebody,” said Stephens.
Sources said Chief Gober first responded to a large fight near the front office, which was not shown on video. Our source then said the chief told the student not to intervene in the fight or he would be arrested.
The student was then placed in a room inside the front office.
You can see him leaving, then recognizing an adult woman who had also responded to the fight and was placed in handcuffs.
He exchanged words with the police, pulled away, and then was physically taken down by Gober.
You can view the video here.