Chesterfield County mother accuses SRO of assaulting her second-grader

CHERAW, S.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division announced on Monday that it has been asked to investigate a Chesterfield County school resource officer after they allegedly hit a second-grade child.

According to the child’s mother, the incident happened on Wednesday, Aug. 14, in the first few hours of school.

SLED investigators told Queen City News that it is too early to speak directly on the investigation or if the SRO has been investigated in the past. On Tuesday, SLED released the following statement to Queen City News:

“SLED was requested by the Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday, August 15, 2024, to investigate an incident involving deputy DeWayne Gillespie while he was on duty. SLED’s investigation is active and ongoing. No other information is available at this time.”

Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office leaders, however, said this is not a SLED case.

District leaders told Queen City News this is a law enforcement matter.

Meanwhile, Bridget Emanuel has argued the incident with her daughter falls on every agency to make sure every student is safe.

“You send them to be safe and protected,” Emanuel told Queen City News. “Not assaulted by the school resource officer.”

Emanuel said her 7-year-old suffered a traumatic brain injury and has bouts of aggression and anxiety. She said her daughter experienced one of those episodes Wednesday morning inside her classroom.

“I got a call, and they asked if I could come to the school … they never told me she was hit,” Emanuel explained.

When she arrived at the school she heard her daughter in a room crying and yelling.

Her daughter told her that the police officer hit her.

The school shared a 16-second video clip with Emanuel, who shared it with Queen City News.

It allegedly shows Gillespie and another individual carrying Emanuel’s daughter down a school hallway.

Emanuel explained that her daughter ran out of the classroom, and the men were attempting to return her.

At one point, Gillespie appears to take off the headphones the second-grader was wearing.

Moments later, the child appears to drop her weight, causing her legs to collide with the officers.

Neither law enforcement nor school leaders have said if they think the child attempted to kick the officer.

However, Emanuel stressed to Queen City News that her daughter’s legs accidentally got tangled with the officers.

From here, the video allegedly shows Gillespie hitting the mouth of the child, who quickly grabbed her mouth. The video then ends.

Emanuel said her daughter returned to school the next day after she was told by school leaders that the SRO would not be on campus.

Her eyes, however, have been turned on justice for what she called, “unnecessary.”

“I want him arrested and charged with assault on a child… What could she do? She couldn’t fight back.”

Her daughter is physically OK but suffered a swollen lip.