A La Mesa, California police officer is under fire for using excessive force during the arrest of a 17-year-old high school student Friday, Jan. 19.

The unidentified student attends Helix Charter High School. According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, the teen was suspended and arrested for being on campus Friday. Police officers were called out to the school and after she refused to leave when school officials asked her to, La Mesa police Chief Walt Vasquez said in a statement.

In the controversial clip, the school resource officer can be seen wrestling with the girl and slamming her to ground while she is handcuffed.

Police told the media that the officer had to restrain her because she did not leave campus voluntarily. He handcuffed her and took her to the office.

“As they were walking, the student became non-compliant on two separate occasions and made an attempt to free herself by pulling away from the officer,'' the chief said. “To prevent the student from escaping, the officer forced the student to the ground.”

An activist who goes by Aeiramique Meeka or Aeiramique Blake on Facebook was appalled by the officer's actions as seen in the video. As the video gained more popularity on Facebook, her call for a walkout became a reality.

Witnesses claim that the victim was knocked to the ground twice during the incident. Police state that the officer agreed to help her up after she decided not to resist.

“As is protocol with all incidents involving use of force, the La Mesa Police Department will be conducting a detailed review of the force used and of the entire incident,” Vasquez said. “Helix High School officials are also fully aware of the facts surrounding the incident.”

On Monday, students who knew the victim and supporters staged a walkout calling for the officer's firing. Aeiramique Blake told the Union-Tribune that the victim was at school because she wanted to confront a teacher she felt was discriminating toward her for searching her bag during in-school suspension.

Blake said her sister, who also attends the high school, was one of the students who took video of the incident. She went on to share that police misconstrued the details of the incident. A teacher allegedly believed the victim was on drugs even though she is anemic and told officials that she was not feeling well while serving in-school suspension. The teacher searched her bag and found pepper spray and that led to the police being called out. Blake said that the victim did not resist arrest as previously stated by police.

"No matter what was done or not done, that was not the appropriate way to handle a young lady," Blake said. "The community is completely outraged.”

La Mesa Police

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