Boynton Beach Police have concluded the internal affairs investigation into the alleged excessive use of force by two officers on a 13-year-old boy who was removed from a school bus earlier this year following a disturbance.
The internal affairs investigation determined that while Officer Jermaine Jones was justified in his use of force, his performance of an acceptable takedown maneuver was problematic because he failed to control the teen’s upper body as prescribed by proper protocol.
Chief Jeffrey S. Katz has recommended that Jones receive a two-day suspension for unsatisfactory performance and not documenting the use of force on the appropriate departmental form.
Video evidence reviewed during the course of this investigation revealed that the teen administered a series of chest bumps to Officer Fabrice Jeanniton. The investigation concluded that Jeanniton did not act to control the situation prior to Jones’ intervention and takedown of the teen. As a result, Chief Katz will be administering a written reprimand for unsatisfactory performance for Jeanniton.
Both Jones and Jeanniton will also be required to attend retraining in control of conflict.
“We are committed to ensuring that we perform our duties in a way that reflects the professionalism expected by, and deserved by our public,” Chief Katz said. “Anytime we identify the opportunity to improve the competencies of our personnel, we get one step closer to this objective. As promised, all documents, evidence, and a full copy of the summary are available for anyone who wishes to educate themselves on the particulars of this case.”
The internal affairs investigation summary can be viewed in its entirety here: http://issuu.com/bbpd/docs/ia14013/0.