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Sheriff meets with Black leaders after video goes viral of policeman punching Black teen in head

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Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony met with Black county leaders Saturday amid a growing outcry over a Black teenager’s rough arrest by deputies, cautioning officials that an investigation needs to be completed, reports WPLG Channel 10. On Thursday, a 15-year-old boy got into a struggle with Broward deputies outside a McDonald’s in Tamarac, Florida. Bystanders recorded the incident with their mobile phones. The videos show Deputy Christopher Krickovich using pepper spray on the boy and then later another deputy punching the boy in the head several times and forcing his head into the pavement. Tony posted a video of his remarks to social media. The video did not include how the Black leaders responded. The Broward County Sheriff’s Office said Krickovich has been placed on administrative leave, pending the outcome of the investigation. Krickovich said in the arrest report that he was surrounded by a large crowd of teenagers at the McDonald’s. “I had to act quickly, fearing I would get stuck or having a student potentially grab weapons off of my belt or vest,” he wrote. Broward County Mayor Mark Bogen and others have said that the deputy who slammed the teen’s head on the ground should be fired. Tony promised transparency but asked for more time. “I’m not going to sit and try to brush anything under the table,” Tony said. “The facts are what they are. I just need them in a formal, written documentation that shows we have done our due diligence.” Mayor Bogen took a tougher stand. “The officer who jumped the student, punched and banged his head should be fired,” he said in a tweet Friday. “I have a problem with the deputy who threw him to the ground after he pepper sprayed him. He could’ve easily arrested him after the spray.” The deputies were reportedly responding to a fight outside a McDonald’s restaurant near J.P. Taravella High School in Coral Springs when the incident occurred. The teenage was charged with assault, resisting arrest and trespassing, reports CBS Miami.

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