Crime & Safety

Security Guard in Oakland Charged With Felony After Allegedly Attacking Wheelchair-Bound Student

The incident occurred on May 9.

A security guard at Oakland High School has been fired and charged with a felony for a recent incident in which he allegedly handcuffed, punched and dumped a student out of his wheelchair, school officials said today.
 
Oakland Unified School District spokesman Troy Flint said the incident occurred at about 9 a.m. on May 9 when freshman Francisco Martinez, who has cerebral palsy, and several other students were lingering in the hallway and he either didn't respond to an order to go to class or was slow to respond.
 
Flint said a school surveillance video shows 23-year-old security guard Marchell Mitchell taking the handles of Martinez's wheelchair and pushing him toward his class but he said Martinez objected because people who use wheelchairs consider them an extension of their bodies and often feel violated when someone else pushes them.
 
Martinez tried to slap Mitchell's hand away so the security guard handcuffed him and continued to push his wheelchair, at which point Martinez spat in his face, according to Flint. Mitchell then struck Martinez several times before dumping him from his wheelchair onto the floor, but then another security officer intervened to restrain Mitchell, Flint said.
 
Mitchell was arrested by an Oakland schools police officer and was fired the same day as the incident, Flint said. He said prosecutors have charged Mitchell with the most serious charge possible, which is felony inflicting corporal injury to a child. Mitchell was hired by the school district last November as a substitute security officer and had been working regularly at Oakland High School before the incident, Flint said.
 
Oakland High School principal Matin Abdel-Qawi said in a recent letter to parents that the incident was "disturbing" and Mitchell's behavior was "completely unacceptable, harmful to our school and community and traumatic to our students and families." He said, "I'm shocked and deeply hurt by this behavior and apologize on behalf of the staff at Oakland High. This incident is not reflective of the kind of culture we cherish at our school or how we treat one another."
 
Abdel-Qawi said the school district's legal office and police department are reviewing policies, procedures, and training related to school security officers and their interaction with students.
 
Martinez was taken to a hospital to be treated for injuries he suffered during the incident but Flint said he has recovered and returned to school. School district officials offered Martinez the option of transferring to another school but Martinez wants to stay at Oakland High School, Flint said.

—By Bay City News


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