SRO’s ‘altercation’ response prompts SBI investigation: CCSO

By DEUCE NIVEN

tribdeuce@tabor-loris.com

     An “altercation” between two students at South Columbus High School on Tuesday has prompted a request from the Columbus County Sheriff’s Office for a state investigation into a School Resource Officer.

     Sheriff Jody Greene, in a news release Wednesday, said the incident took place during lunch, and the altercation “between the students became physical, requiring the School Resource Officer to intervene.”

     One of the students was “escorted” from the cafeteria, by the deputy, “to ensure each students’ safety,” the sheriff said.

     Greene said he “received a message that the student’s mother called the office concerning the incident. She expressed concerns about the School Resource Officer’s interaction with her son. I returned the mother’s call and promptly called District Attorney Jon David and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. I requested that the NCSBI initiate an investigation.”

     An investigation is “normal procedure” when an officer’s use of force is questioned, Green said.

     “This procedure allows for due process and transparency, ensuring that an unbiased and thorough investigation is completed,” Greene said. “The NCSBI will collect information and present the factual evidence collected to the District Attorney’s Office for review.”

     An internal investigation by the Sheriff’s Office will take place “to ensure proper policy and procedures were followed,” Greene said. “The School Resource Officer has been removed from his assignment and is on administrative duties while the investigation is carried out.”

     Greene did not identify the officer.

     Look for updates on this story as events warrant here, and in the next Tabor-Loris Tribune in print and online.