A Sumter County sheriff’s deputy was forced to use a Taser on a student who had been involved in a fight Tuesday afternoon at Wildwood Middle High School.
The deputy had been working as a school resource officer when the deputy responded along with the principal to a report of a fight between two students.
An entire class had been watching the fight and the situation was “getting loud and out of control,” according to the arrest report.
As he was being escorted to the student services area, Ernest MikeJuan Cooper, 18, began getting loud and swearing, according to the report. The deputy advised the principal that Cooper was going to be arrested on a charge of Disruption of a School Function and the principal told the deputy to go ahead and do so.
“You are going to have a hell of a time arresting me,” Cooper reportedly responded.
The deputy placed Cooper’s hands behind his back but when reaching for the handcuffs Cooper broke the grip of the deputy. The deputy put Cooper on the ground and Cooper placed both hands under his body. The deputy asked Cooper to show his hands but he refused. The deputy used the Taser gun on Cooper who then showed his hands. He was then handcuffed and transported to the Sumter County Detention Center.
He was booked on charges of Disruption of a School Function and resisting a law enforcement officer. Bond was set at $2,000.