Huntsville student involved in taser altercation with SRO shares his story

Justin Freeman says the ordeal started when his teacher of three weeks didn't recognize him as a student.

HUNTSVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/FOX24) — An investigation into a physical altercation between a Huntsville High School student and a School Resource Officer is now in the hands of Arkansas State Police. The student involved wants to share his side of the story.

“I was at a loss for words,” said Justin Freeman, a junior at HHS.

Freeman just started going to Huntsville High on January 10th. He said one teacher told him to go to another teacher’s room for a development class students have to go through. He said he when went on Wednesday, the teacher didn’t believe he was a student who attended the school.

“I go to her class and she stops me and goes ‘who are you and why are you in my class?’ and I got confused because I’d been in the class for three weeks,” he said.

He said the teacher raised her voice at him and he admits to raising his voice back at her and using swear words. They went to another teacher’s classroom where they looked him up in the system and confirmed he was an enrolled student at the school.

“She said, we’re going to the office now, and I said no, I’m going to get my stuff first out of your class,” he said. “And she said, if you go get your stuff out of the class, I’m going to call the cops on you.”

The Madison County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release that an SRO was sent to the school for an unruly juvenile. It said Justin refused to give his name to the officer and was uncooperative. It said the SRO told Justin that they were taking him to the courthouse.

This is when the sheriff’s office said a physical altercation ensued, and the officer warned Justin that he was about to be tased. It said he continued to resist and the officer deployed the taser into Justin’s thigh.

Justin said he wasn’t being uncooperative, he wanted to exercise his 5th Amendment right.

“I told them I didn’t want to talk to them and they kept prying at me, asking the same questions over and over again,” he said. “Apparently that’s being uncompliant, even though that’s my right because I don’t have to talk to an officer unless I have a lawyer or a guardian present.”

Justin said he was able to briefly call his guardian and let him know he was dealing with the police. Here’s what he said happened next:

“That’s when the officer came up to me, put his hands around my neck and shoved me against the back window while I was still sitting in the chair,” he said. “I don’t know much about law enforcement and rules and stuff like that, but I knew as soon as he put his hands around my neck that it was wrong.”

Justin had a black eye and bruise on his nose from the altercation. Justin’s mom Amber said this was the last thing she expected to happen when she sent her son to Huntsville. She said she’s been able to view the body camera footage of what happened.

“It’s completely unbelievable,” she said. “We’re originally from a town about the size of this one, maybe even a bit smaller and so you expect him coming to school, to a small school just like the one that you’re used to, that things will be like they always were.”

Amber said she’s been told the school is not giving Justin any disciplinary punishments. She plans to go to the school board about the teacher involved, but is undecided if she wants to file a formal complaint.

We reached out to the school to see if the teacher is facing any consequences. KNWA/FOX24 was deferred to the schools attorney Charles Harwell who said, “It would be inappropriate to comment that on facts that may or may not be the subject of discipline, whether it is an employee or a student.”

Justin said he wants to see justice.

“I would, at the worst, like to see her get fired, and the officer lose his badge,” said Justin.

“Make sure they’re not in a position of authority over anyone,” added Amber.

The Madison County Sheriff’s Office declined an interview at this time. Captain Russell Alberts with the department said the officer is working in administration while the investigation continues. Once ASP finishes its investigation, it will go to the Washington County Prosecutor, where formal charges against Justin or the officer could be decided.

Huntsville Superintendent Audra Kimball told KNWA/FOX24 that the officer no longer serves the Huntsville School District.