ST. CHARLES — Parents of a City of St. Charles School District student say their son was suspended and severely concussed after a school resource officer struck the teen’s head amid multiple fights at a football game last week.
Sarah Jenkins said her step-son, Chris Green-Jenkins, 14, received a 10-day suspension Tuesday morning after school surveillance video showed the teen had punched the officer at a football game between Francis Howell North and City of St. Charles high schools on Friday where several fights broke out.
Jenkins said there was much more to the story.
of what happened next spread widely on social media over the weekend, and showed a City of St. Charles police officer striking Green-Jenkins’ head twice before he was brought to the ground and arrested.
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Jenkins said her step-son was trying to defend his sister moments before. She said her daughter got in a fight with a boy who bullied and hit her.
Jenkins said the officer who eventually hit Chris tried to diffuse the altercation between her daughter and the boy. Green-Jenkins, however, thought the officer was choking his sister because the officer had grabbed her by the hood of her sweatshirt, she said.
On school surveillance video, which Jenkins said she viewed with school officials on Tuesday, Green-Jenkins could be heard screaming “get off my (expletive) sister.†She said the video showed the officer grabbing her son’s shirt or pushing his chest.
Jenkins said the video showed her step-son punched the officer, who “uppercut†him twice in response and pushed him against the wall.
“He obviously felt very threatened about his sister,†the teen’s father, Travis Jenkins, said. “He’s always been respectful to adults unless he was having some sort of anxiety or meltdown.â€
Green-Jenkins shoved the officer to the ground and a woman nearby then tried to shield the boy, which the video posted online showed.
The officer peeled the teen away from the woman and punched him in the head twice. Another officer had his arms wrapped around the teen by the second blow.
The parents said their son was “incoherent†when they picked him up from jail. They also said he had been maced while in the back of a police car because he was in a “state of panic†and had retinal damage as a result.
Green-Jenkins has mental disabilities including anxiety and depression, as well as a seizure disorder, his parents said. Last year, he brought a knife to school because he was being bullied and wanted to get kicked out, Sarah Jenkins said.
The officer who responded to that incident was the one who Green-Jenkins fought with at Friday’s football game, his parents said.
“The worst part is the officer that did this knows Chris’ situation,†Sarah Jenkins said.
Lt. Daniel Gibbons with City of St. Charles Police said the department is conducting a standard internal investigation as it does for all use-of-force incidents.
“There were a lot of fights, and the subject was being detained by officers,†Gibbons said. “He interfered with that detention, and his actions are part of the internal (review) so I can’t comment too much.â€
Gibbons said the incident still is under review, but officers are allowed to strike unruly individuals in certain situations. It depends on the crime, what force was used on the officer or what the officer is trying to overcome, he said.
Gibbons said charges will be pursued against the teen, but declined to provide specifics, saying juvenile records are confidential.
School and law enforcement officials said they are reviewing “several†physical altercations that occurred at the football game.
Principals of Francis Howell North and St. Charles High said the fights involved students and graduates from several high schools. School officials paused the game and asked students who were not accompanied by a parent or guardian to leave.
“As with any situation like this, we are reviewing our gameday protocols to determine whether we need to make adjustments moving forward to help ensure the safety and enjoyment of everyone in attendance,†the district said in a statement to the Post-Dispatch.
Francis Howell North Principal Jon Schultz, in an email to parents, said students involved in the fights will be disciplined and safety measures and restrictions may be implemented at future athletic events.
Sarah Jenkins said she is holding her son accountable for his actions, but may file a complaint against the officer.
“I was originally entirely on their side when they told me Chris was going to jail for hitting an officer,†Sarah Jenkins said. “I’m not against law enforcement, however there’s no justifying doing that to him.â€
