A former deputy was found not guilty after getting caught on camera bashing a Black teenager's head into the ground during an arrest.
Christopher Krickovich, an ex-Broward Sheriff's deputy, was acquitted of battery charges after assaulting then 15-year-old Delucca Enrique Rolle on Monday (July 25), according to Miami Herald. Krickovich plans on getting his job back plus back pay through arbitration, his attorney Jeremy Knoll told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Clintina Rolle, Delucca's mother, told WSVN the verdict left her "very distressed," especially since the family has been grappling with the incident for three years.
“That means the video doesn’t even matter, like you can see something, but it doesn’t matter,” she said.
The rough April 2019 arrest was filmed outside a fast food restaurant in Tamarac, where dozens of teens gathered, reporters say. Authorities responded to the scene to disperse the crowd, citing a fight that happened at the business a day before.
Police say DeRolle, who was a J.P Taravella High School student at the time, disobeyed orders by picking up another teenager's phone while trying to arrest them.
Gregory LaCerra, another deputy at the scene, pepper-sprayed Rolle before Krickovich is seen grabbing the teenager before slamming Rolle's head on the ground and punching him. Charges against Rolle were dropped a few days later, and Krickovich was fired in December 2019.
“We don’t have a policy that allows a deputy to slam someone’s head into the ground,” Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony said during a news conference announcing an internal affairs investigation into Krickovich's actions.
Miami Herald says LaCerra was cleared of charges in February following an appeals court upheld a lower court's ruling. The ruling states LaCerra was protected by Florida's Stand Your Ground law, claiming he felt threatened during Rolle's arrest.
Reading about Black trauma can have an impact on your mental health. If you or someone you know need immediate mental health help, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor. These additional resources are also available:
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255
The National Alliance on Mental Illness 1-800-950-6264
The Association of Black Psychologists 1-301-449-3082
The Anxiety and Depression Association of America 1-240-485-1001
For more mental health resources, click HERE.
Get the latest news 24/7 on The Black Information Network. Listen now on the iHeartRadio app or click HERE to tune in live.