Sounds like this school district has a serious manpower issue. Not only that, but from the interview, the implication is that the officers were barely able to defend themselves, let alone others. It sounds like they need to be given more latitude to do that. -- ed.
BY CHRIS MINOR, Quad8News:
Former police officer Frank DeToye says he is trying to recover from two concussions which have left him with brain damage, after dealing with one too many out of control students at Smart Intermediate in Davenport (one of the Quad Cities: Davenport and Bettendorf in Iowa, and Rock Island and Moline in Illinois).
"There's been lock downs, fights, some brutal fights you have to get in the middle of," said DeToye, who used to train MMA fighters.
Find out how YOU can become Certified Protection Officer with the IFPO!
He was hired last school year as a security officer at Smart, after years of being a policeman in Bettendorf, Bluegrass, and Madrid, Iowa.
After just two months on the job at Smart, he says he suffered his first concussion.
"I remember waking up at the hospital, not knowing what day it was," said the 59-year old.
"Some of these kids are so out of control, their rage is so strong, " he said.
"Frank's got a severe head injury, and I think these students are capable of doing worse," said Frank's wife Carol.
He has short-term memory issues, blinding cluster migraines, and trouble with his balance and speech. He is seeing a neurologist in Iowa City and undergoing occupational and physical therapy.
Carol fills in some of the blanks.
"Frank restrained the student, with his arms around him. The student kicked up his legs, off the lockers. Frank and the student went flying back and Frank took the brunt of the brick wall," she said.
Before that, there were other injuries on the job. He says he and other staff were bitten, punched, kicked, and spit on.
Frank and another security guard were hired last school year to monitor 30-some kids on Smart's third floor. That was the designated area for kids with "behavior disorders".
But, he says resources were limited, limited training, and few consequences for really bad behavior.
