VALDOSTA —
A lunchtime tussle with a Valdosta police detective landed a 17-year-old Pinevale Learning Center student in jail Thursday.
What began as a routine walk-through of the school turned into a Valdosta Police Department Gang Task Force investigator calling for backup.
Valdosta Police Cmdr. Brian Childress said the detective offered to monitor the lunch room of the school located at 930 Lake Park Road — a job typically done by a school resource officer, after being told there was not a law-enforcement officer on the grounds. Having received the school’s permission, the detective proceeded to the lunch room, Childress said.
According to the detective’s statement to Childress, at approximately 10:55 a.m., a 17-year-old male student, quoted as being, “a big kid,” started making what was considered to be a racial slur towards the detective and yelling profanity.
The investigator told the student to cease the profanity or he would be arrested. When the young man repeated the profane language, the detective attempted to place him in handcuffs, the commander said. After the student resisted, the detective called for back up. The student picked up a chair and was ordered to put it down. When attempting for a second time to place handcuffs on the student, the detective was pushed against a wall. Valdosta police officers responded to the school and assisted in arresting the student. Childress along with Cmdr. Eugene Bell and Chief Frank Simons also responded to the scene for precautionary purposes.
The suspect’s name is currently being withheld. He was transported to the Lowndes County Jail and charged with aggravated assault on a law-enforcement officer, felony obstruction of an officer, disorderly conduct and disruption of a public school, Childress said. Additional charges are being sought.
Neither the suspect nor the detective were injured in the incident. Childress expressed that the investigator was not at the school as part of any criminal activity. “It is routine for law enforcement to visit schools for demonstrations, for educational and community involvement,” the commander said. “The school has been cooperative, and the officers did a great job in keeping the incident from escalating any further.”
At the present time, the Pinevale Learning Center does not have a school resource officer. Childress said the department is trying to fill the position.
The Gang Task Force is operated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Valdosta Police Department has two detectives assigned to the unit. The job of a gang task for detective/investigator is to identity gang members, prosecute gang members, etc. They also visit various schools and talk to students about gang activity.
Childress reiterated that Thursday’s incident was not a part of a gang-affiliated investigation.
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