After court order, CCSD releases police body camera video of incident near Durango High

After nearly a year of resistance, the Clark County School District (CCSD) has finally released body camera footage of an incident where a school police officer is seen forcefully slamming a student to the ground. The incident, which occurred last February near Durango High School, involved other students ending up in handcuffs, as captured in cell phone videos.

FOX5 took legal action, filing public records requests and involving lawyers to compel CCSD to release the video and written reports. The American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada also took the matter to court, resulting in a judge's order to release the video 30 days ago.

The students involved claimed they were approached by officers without clear explanations. One student stated he was merely recording the interaction on his cell phone, while another mentioned being accused of jaywalking. The police had initially mentioned investigating reports of a gun near the campus but never clarified why the officer used force, and no gun was found on the students.

Despite efforts by CCSD to block the video's release, citing confidentiality concerns, a judge ordered its public disclosure. CCSD Superintendent Jesus Jara, in response to the incident, called for a review of the CCSD Police Department's use of force policies, emphasizing the need for respect and safety for students.

Notably, the officer involved in the incident was not disciplined by CCSD. Attorney Adam Levine, representing the Police Officers Association of the Clark County School District, defended the officer's actions, stating that the body camera footage showed the officer defusing a potentially dangerous situation and acting courteously afterward.

FOX5 reached out to CCSD and CCSD Police for comment on the released body camera video. Additionally, an update includes footage of a CCSD police officer engaging in a hostile interaction upon arriving at the scene, further intensifying concerns about the handling of the situation.

In a social media post, the Executive Director of ACLU Nevada accused CCSD PD of lying, expressing vindication after a year of legal battles to obtain the body camera footage. The footage is set to be made public soon, revealing the full details surrounding the assault of the students by school police.