A Marion County, South Carolina school resource officer is under investigation after viral video footage showed him striking a teenage baseball player in the head with a taser following a high school game earlier this week.
Eddie Page, a School Resource Officer (SRO) assigned to Pee Dee Academy in Mullins, South Carolina, is at the center of the controversy. The incident occurred Wednesday (March 25) after Pee Dee Academy defeated Lee Academy 7-0.
The teen identified in the video is Andrew Bowers, an all-state baseball player for Lee Academy’s Cavaliers, based in Bishopville, South Carolina. Bowers had the only hit for Lee Academy in the game before the confrontation unfolded in front of players, coaches, and parents.
Video circulating on social media shows Page with his left arm wrapped around Bowers’ neck and throat from behind. Page then removes his taser from his belt with his right hand, waves it around, and strikes Bowers on the right side of his head. Bowers is then forced down to his knees, and once there, reaches up to rub the area where he was hit.
A large group of angry parents surrounded Page and Bowers during the confrontation. A parent in the video can be heard shouting, “What the f***’s wrong with you?” while another yells, “You gonna lose your pension over that one, homie.”
Page reportedly claimed he struck the teen because Bowers was standing on his foot with his cleats. Page can also be heard in the footage asking, “Where’s the other fella at?” — at which point a man in handcuffs walks into the frame. The exact circumstances that triggered the confrontation remain unclear. One adult in the video appears to suggest that a parent had threatened to strike the officer at some earlier point.
Bowers’ brother shared a portion of the video on Facebook, where it quickly went viral.
Tammy Ervin, a representative of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, confirmed the investigation in a statement.
“We’ve turned the matter over to the State Law Enforcement Division for investigation,” adding, “The deputy in question has been reassigned pending SLED’s investigation.”
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) is leading the investigation into the incident. No formal charges have been announced, and officials have not confirmed whether Page has been placed on administrative leave. The Marion County Sheriff’s Office has not issued any additional public statements as of Monday (March 30).
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