A police officer’s disturbing behavior Wednesday at a Beaver County school alarmed parents badly enough that they called 911.
Channel 11 is not identifying the police officer because he hasn't been charged with anything, although his behavior was enough to put him on administrative leave.
The Rochester Area School District solicitor says a video given to Channel 11 by a witness is just a snippet of what happened, and police will review other videos. They know at least one other one is out there and also will review school surveillance cameras.
The video is 23 seconds long, and it shows the school resource officer, a Rochester Township Police officer, bending over and touching the floor with his fingers and dangling there for a while as elementary students arrived for school Wednesday morning.
His behavior before, during and after the video was noticed not just by parents who recorded it but by staff members who had him escorted out of the building by other police officers. Lots of parents saw the video.
“I learn it's a police officer and I see it and I'm like, there's no way he's just stretching. He was completely incoherent for like 25 seconds,” said parent Paige Morris.
The district sent home a letter to all parents Wednesday afternoon saying there was an incident while the kids were coming into school and the individual was escorted from the building.
But people Channel 11 spoke to say it never explained that the person in question was a police officer.
“How do you let somebody like that just walk out?” said grandmother Bernadina Brandao. “That's crazy.”
Channel 11 has learned the officer has been working in the school for a year and a half. The police department did not comment but directed us to its solicitor.
He told Channel 11 there were observations made by parents, staff and other officers that the officer was acting oddly. One parent called 911.
Until this is figured out, the township solicitor tells Channel 11, the officer is on paid administrative leave. He is no longer at the school.
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