Caught on video: Texas officer arrested for pushing 14-year-old

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Sunday, June 7, 2015
Texas officer arrested for tackling 14-year-old at pool party
A police officer in North Texas has been placed on leave after video surfaced of him pulling a 14-year-old girl in a swimsuit to the ground.

MCKINNEY, TX (KGO) -- A McKinney, Texas, police officer has been placed on administrative leave after a video surfaced showing him pushing a 14-year-old girl in a bikini to the ground outside a pool and then drawing his gun on others who came to her aid.

McKinney police say officers responded to a disturbance call Friday. Police were called to the Craig Ranch North Community Pool because there were "multiple juveniles" who "do not live in the area or have permission to be there, refusing to leave," McKinney police spokeswoman Sabrina Boston said.

In the seven-minute clip posted to YouTube, the girl can be seen confronting the officer while leaving the pool party. The now-suspended officer uses profanity, grabs the girl by the back of her head and forces her to the ground, face-down, then pins her with his knees to the ground. She can be heard screaming, "I want to call my mom! He hit me."

The officer is then seen pulling his gun and pointing the weapon at other teens who appeared to come to the girl's aid.

Police Chief Greg Conley said Sunday the officer was placed on administrative leave and an investigation is underway. He says "several concerns" about the officer's conduct were raised.

"Several concerns about the conduct of one of the officers at the scene have been raised," Conley said. "The McKinney Police Department is committed to treating all persons fairly under the law. We are committed to preserving the peace and safety of our community for all our citizens."

"He was just aggressive for no reason at all. It was horrible," Tatyana Rhodes told ABC affiliate WFAA-TV.

Rhodes, along with her mother and sister, had organized the pool party as part of an end-of-school celebration, BuzzFeed News reports. Teens at the party says the incident began when adults at the pool "told the black children to leave the area and return to 'Section 8 (public) housing.'"

An adult male was arrested for interference with the duties of a police officer, ABC News reports. All of the teens who had been detained by officers were released to their parents.

The Associated Press and ABC News contributed to this report.