27 November 2023 , 13:52
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A shocking video shows the moment four students punched a school cop repeatedly - only a week before a Jewish teacher was forced to hide from widespread protests.
The school safety agents were trying to break up a fight at Hillcrest High School when they were set upon by a group of children. The video, which captures the moment the kids set on a New York Police Department officer, was filmed and posted on social media on Sunday night.
The fight broke out on November 15 when three students were found fighting two others, and the school cops stepped in to try and break up the fight - before becoming targets themselves. Three NYPD cops were injured as they separated students during the brawl. Two 15-year-old boys and two 16-year-old boys were arrested and given juvenile reports, which are issued instead of a misdemeanour or felony charge if the suspects are minors.
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The footage was shared by Queenstown councilwoman Vickie Paladino, and shows a student spinning out of a cop’s grip before charging at another student - who is blocked by a second officer. But the second officer ends up on the receiving end of a brutal attack, punched in the back of the head as he shields another pupil.
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The students were at first embroiled in a brawl
When teachers stepped in to stop the fight, the attack turned on themPaladino called for the school to be shut down “pending a full and thorough investigation”. The councilwoman, who is one of the few Republican members on NYC Council, said in a scathing statement: “This event apparently happened a week before the riot. The school administration tried to cover this up in the same way they tried to cover up the riot.”
The “riot” refers to riotous protests held by pro-Palestinian students a week after the attack in the above video - the incidents are not related. A Jewish teacher who attended a pro-Israel rally reportedly had to hide in her classroom, saying she felt “unsafe” during the protests and hoping there could be “meaningful discussion” in the days ahead, the New York Post reported.
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Paladino continued: “It's clear that the administration of Hillcrest is totally compromised and either unwilling or unable to do what's necessary to provide a safe environment to their students or their faculty. Furthermore, they seem more than willing to cover up crimes committed by their students in service of a political narrative, and to prevent these criminal students from facing consequences.
“This cannot continue in our schools. Order and discipline must be restored. We've tried 'progressive' educational theory for far too long, and it's gotten us absolutely nowhere. Our students and our city deserve far better than this.”
The school has faced multiple issues with controlling students in the past month (JO&JOE)The NYPD said in a statement that violence in schools will “not be tolerated”. They said: “The NYPD is aware of this incident. Violence in our schools will not be tolerated. The individuals responsible for assaulting the NYPD Schools agents were taken into custody & charged according to NYPD procedures.”
Officer Kevin L. Taylor of the NYPD’s school division said: “In regard to Hillcrest HS, I have increased security measures to ensure the continued safety of all students and staff. We will be working closely with DOE to prevent future incidents. Violence will not be tolerated in schools.”