The teenager at the center of the video that shows a Broward Sheriff's deputy slamming his head on the ground in front of a crowd of high school students in Tamarac is speaking out for the first time.
Delucca Rolle, his mother Clintina Rolle, and his attorney Ben Crump sat with NBC 6 in an exclusive interview Wednesday to talk about the April 18 encounter with two BSO deputies who have since been suspended.
"I'm just trying to stop thinking about it and start focusing on school," the 15-year-old said.
The video, which has since gone viral, shows the teen being pepper-sprayed, thrown on the ground, punched and his head slammed onto the pavement in the parking lot of a McDonald's restaurant.
"It hurt, it hurt as a parent," Clintina Rolle said. "Even though I try to block it and not think about it. It hurt."
At a NAACP event Thursday morning, Clintina Rolle and family attorney Benjamin Crump spoke out regarding the justice they seek in the case.
“It is the right thing to do to speak up for our children like DeLucca Rolle," Crump said. "It is the right thing to do to fight for our children like Delucca Rolle and we are steadfast in our commitment that all these leaders up here are going to fight for our children.”
Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony announced Tuesday that Sgt. Gregory LaCerra and Deputy Christopher Krickovich would be suspended after they were initially placed on "restricted administrative assignment." The state attorney's office also announced that Delucca's charges of assaulting and resisting an officer would be dropped.
"When the officer take my child's head and hit it down like he was nothing, like he was a nobody," Clintina said. "I mean, that's somebody I bring in the world."
Crump said more action needs to be taken against the two deputies.
"When you look at this video, you know that they assaulted and battered this unarmed 15-year-old child," Crump said Wednesday. "We're demanding from the State Attorney, that when they review that video thoroughly, all of the crimes that were committed, that those individuals are charged with assault and battery."
A protest rally is scheduled for Saturday where the take-down took place in Tamarac.
