It seems like all that dominates the news lately are stories of the citizens vs. the law. Here is yet another one. A 27-year-old officer named Joshua Kehm was fired from his position as a San Antonio police officer, after a video surfaced online of him throwing a 12-year-old girl, Janissa Valdez, to the ground.

Superintendent, Pedro Martinez, commented on the situation saying, “We understand that situations can sometimes escalate to the point of requiring a physical response; however, in this situation we believe that the extent of the response was absolutely unwarranted.” He added, “Additionally, the officer’s report was inconsistent with the video and it was also delayed, which is not in accordance with the general operating procedures of the police department.”

VAldez recounted the situation, telling an ABC affiliate that she and another student were planning to meet after school on March 29 to discuss something the other girl had said about her. Other kids started to congregate around the girls, waiting for a fight. Valdez tried to tell the other girl to go somewhere else, as there were too many kids, and that’s when the officer saw the situation and expected a fight to ensue.

In the video, Officer Kehm was shown struggling to restrain Valdez, when he then hurled her to the ground. A loud crack is heard right as her head hits the pavement and the crowd around the officer falls silent. Kehm continues to handcuff her, pull her up, and escort her from the area.

Judith Browne Dianis, co-director for Advancement Project, a civil rights organization, believes incidents like the one between Kehm and Valdez are fueled by something more. “How many students of color must be brutalized by police officers in their schools before we recognize the pattern?” she commented. “We cannot wait for another violent video of police brutality in our schools to surface before we take action.”

On the other side of the debate, there are still supporters for Officer Kehm. Following the announcement of his termination, the group Blue Lives Matter said students at the school wore white T-shirts to show support of the officer.

“Officer Kehm was filmed subduing an irate and violent female student by taking her to the ground,” states the group’s Facebook page. “After a brief investigation, Officer Kehm was given the opportunity to resign or be fired. He refused to resign, so the San Antonio Independent School District terminated him.”

Martinez, the superintendent, stated that Kehm was in the wrong. The officer took much too long to submit a report. “When the police officer did submit a report, it was not at all consistent with the video.” Kehm stated that the girl had fallen down.

In the midst of the Black Lives Matter and Blue Lives Matter movements, incidents such as these spark debates that put citizens and law enforcement in a boxing match against each other. We live in a world where innocent people are injured and killed for the color of their skin or their profession. It seems like every day the news holds another story of a life lost to racial or occupational tension. How many innocent lives must be taken? We must take a stand and make a change or the senseless death will continue.