Oklahoma City school resource officer charged after punching student over hall

“If he believed that he was going to be hurt or he was going to be attacked, then obviously he has the right and the opportunity to defend himself”, said Capt. Paco Balderrama with the Oklahoma City Police Department. Oklahoma City Public Schools Director of Media Relations Mark Myers released the following statement regarding the situation: “From the onset we worked with the Oklahoma City Police Department assisting with their internal investigation surrounding the situation between a former school resource officer and a U.S. Grant High School student”.

Assault charge: Master Sgt Thomas Jaha has been seen on video allegedly punching a 16-year-old student in the face. Prosecutors accused him of hitting the student, who had taken up a fighting stance after he refused to go to a gym assembly.

The surveillance video shows Jaha approach the student at a water fountain in a hallway. Jaha responded by punching the boy in the face, out of self-defense, cops said.

That’s when he is allegedly hit him in the face, twice.

According to the report, the student had bruising and swelling and minor cuts inside his mouth after being punched. The 16-year-old’s family says they have hired a lawyer.

He told KFOR that his grandson had shouted for help before school staff arrived to see what was happening.

Just days after the Spring Valley High assault, another school official has been caught on tape getting violent with a student.

The station reported the boy was them taken to hospital by a parent.

The district attorney has filed one count of assault and battery against the officer. As the student walks away, the school resource officer started chasing him, leading up to the confrontation.

Sergeant Jaha was placed on restrictive duty after the Oklahoma Police Department became aware of the incident. He has also been officially place on paid administrative leave.