A Georgia police officer is already out on bond after his recent arrest. Accused of becoming violent with a teenage student at an area high school, he is facing several criminal charges, including cruelty to children and battery. He is currently on administrative leave from his position, which will likely give him ample time to focus on his criminal defense strategies.
The exact details of the alleged attack were not immediately made clear, but the incident apparently occurred on school grounds. The teenage student complained to school officials that he or she had been physically harmed by the officer. Some of their family members were apparently present when the incident took place and reaffirmed the claim, stating that the teen still had physical evidence from the attack.
The school then took the complaint to the police department. Both a criminal investigation and an administrative investigation have since been launched against the officer, and he is currently not being paid while he is on leave. While the police department released a statement regarding the matter, the officer accused of committing the assault has apparently not said anything regarding the matter since he posted bond.
Physical harm involving a child is an understandably serious matter, as most parents and the community at large typically go to great lengths to protect minors. However, Georgia defendants cannot be determined to be guilty simply based on the age of a victim who was allegedly involved in a crime. As with any criminal charges, defendants have the right to create a strong criminal defense in order to fight the charges against them until the very end of criminal court proceedings, all while maintaining their innocence.
Source: 11alive.com, “Clayton Co. officer facing criminal charges after ‘physical altercation'”, Neima Abdulahi and Adrianne Haney, Sept. 27, 2016