This deputy sheriff assaulted a peaceful child. Fire Ben Fields and update the use-of-force policy!

  • by: Nathan Empsall
  • recipient: Richland (SC) County Sheriff Leon and Solicitor Dan Johnson

In less than 24 hours, a video of a white South Carolina sheriff's deputy brutally assaulting a peaceful, unarmed, black school girl has garnered 15 million views.

The student is sitting calmly when muscle-bound "Senior Deputy" Ben Fields grabs her neck and flips her desk upside down with her still in it, then painfully rips her out of the desk and drags her across the floor. Other students say Fields had been called to the room because the girl refused to give up her cell phone. Even the sheriff's department, which is shamefully defending the deputy, admits she was never physically threatening.

Sheriff Leon Lott has called the video "disturbing," removed Fields from public duty, and requested a federal investigation. Unfortunately, Lott also blamed the victim for the attack, claiming she "forced" Fields to brutally attack her by ignoring his instructions.

Fields has a long history of racially tinged violence. In 2005, a black Army veteran and his wife sued Fields for macing the uniformed soldier over a noise complaint. In 2013, another student sued Fields for targeting black students.

Sign the petition: For attacking a child who posed no threat, Ben Fields must be fired and arrested for assault, and the sheriff's department must update its use-of-force policies! Peacefully resisting arrest is not grounds for a potentially deadly abuse of power, and unstable "officers" like this make the public less safe.

Officers shouldn't go from 0 to 60 in the absence of violence from a suspect, but that's exactly what Ben Fields did at Spring Valley High School. Peacefully resisting arrest and calmly ignoring instructions like the student allegedly did is not a justification for an over-the-top use of excessive force in the absence of a physical threat. Actions like Fields' make the public less safe and teach students to distrust law enforcement. His attack was an abuse of power, plain and simple.


Ben Fields must be fired from the sheriff's department and charged with assault, and the sheriff's department must update its use-of-force policies!

Update #18 years ago
Good news: Deputy Fields has been fired! But assault charges are still needed, and worse yet, Sheriff Lott continues to blame the victim - which means the department still needs to update its use-of-force policy. Please keep sharing this petition, and be sure to check out a related new petition: One of the students who filmed Fields is now facing 90 days in jail! Sign your name to get the charges dropped: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/212/629/040/
Sign Petition
Sign Petition
You have JavaScript disabled. Without it, our site might not function properly.

Privacy Policy

By signing, you accept Care2's Terms of Service.
You can unsub at any time here.

Having problems signing this? Let us know.