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Video shows new perspective of takedown of Liberty High student by school resource officer

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — New video gives a different perspective of a confrontation that went viral between an Osceola County teen and a school resource officer.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is almost done with its investigation into what happened at Liberty High School between student Taylor Bracey and SRO Ethan Fournier.

READ: FDLE asking for the publics help with their investigation into an Osceola SRO’s use-of-force on student captured on video

Video of Fournier throwing the teen to the ground went viral earlier this year.

Now it’s up to the state attorney to decide what to do next and whether any charges will be filed.

Sources said Bracey was sent to the office for disrupting her classroom, but left a few minutes later to look for another girl.

READ: Civil rights attorneys join family in call for justice after teen body-slammed by school officer

Sources said the incident with the two girls was not the first one.

There was one two weeks before in the cafeteria of the school. But this was the first one involving a takedown by the SRO.

The source said this time, the student wouldn’t listen to administrators or Fournier when asked to stop, so he took her down.

READ: Mother of teen body-slammed by school officer says her daughter still has headaches, memory loss

Sources said Fournier tried to get Bracey to calm down and threatened to arrest her, but she didn’t stop.

Bracey’s mom spoke to Channel 9 shortly after the incident, saying the two girls never became physical, which the new video confirms.

READ: Florida man accused of spitting at Disney security guard who asked him to wear face mask

But Bracey could face charges of assault and resisting with violence.

All of this will be presented to prosecutors, but determining whether Fournier faces charges involving use of force will likely come down to the last few seconds of the takedown and if the amount of force was justified or not.

Fouriner remains on administrative leave pending results of the investigation.

Shannon Butler

Shannon Butler, WFTV.com

Shannon joined the Eyewitness News team in 2013.

Sarah Wilson

Sarah Wilson, WFTV.com

Sarah Wilson joined WFTV Channel 9 in 2018 as a digital producer after working as an award-winning newspaper reporter for nearly a decade in various communities across Central Florida.

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