DAVIE, Fla. – Dozens of students walked out of Western High School Tuesday afternoon in support of a security guard who is accused of a choking a 15-year-old student while breaking up a fight.
The incident occurred last week at the school at 1200 SW 136th Ave. in Davie.
The security guard, Alan Davis, is seen on cellphone video charging at 17-year-old student Tristan Eaton.
According to Tristan, Davis was choking his friend, Alec Ortega, after breaking up a fight.
When Eaton saw Ortega gasping for air, he said he stepped in to stop the security guard, who then charged at him instead.
"At that time, I had just thought that he was going to choke him to death, because I'd seen my friend, Alec, couldn't breathe," Tristan said. "I just panicked and tried to separate the two."
Alec told Local 10 News that Davis didn't put him in a chokehold to hold him back from the other student, as school officials claimed, but said that the security guard placed both hands on his neck to choke him.
The fathers of both teens believe Davis should be fired from the school.
"I don't think that person was trained properly," Alec's father, Santiago Ortega, said.
"I'm sure this is not part of their protocol," Mario Eaton added. "He should be released from the school as a security guard."
School administrators spoke to the parents of the children involved, who were suspended.
Western High claims Davis was only fighting back after being attacked by Tristan. School officials said based on a preliminary investigation, Davis will not be transferred to another school.
"In response to a complaint regarding the security guard’s actions during the incident, school administrators adhered to procedures for an investigation," said Nadine Drew, a spokeswoman for Broward County Public Schools. "Based on an initial review, the employee has not been reassigned at this time."
Many students have also come to Davis' defense, saying he was just doing his job and is someone they greatly respect at the school.
"He went to break up the fight and the kid swung on the security guard," one witness said. "Everybody just feels it's not right for someone to lose their job over something that's false."
Students who walked out Tuesday said they were not afraid to stand up for someone who protects them everyday.
"Say that the kid that got into the fight had a gun, or maybe a knife, and Mr. Davis didn't do what he did, he would have gotten in trouble for not doing anything," student Dillon Cheeseman said.