Officers disciplined, suspended for roles in Hobgood Elementary School arrests

The police officer who spearheaded the investigation that led to the arrests of elementary school students will be suspended and placed on probation, according to documents from the Murfreesboro Police Department.

Officer Crystal Templeton received a three-day suspension and six months of disciplinary probation for her role in the April 2016 arrests of 10 students at Hobgood Elementary School in Murfreesboro, according to documents provided exclusively to The DNJ.

Five other officers were also disciplined. Three received written reprimands and two were punished more harshly with suspensions for failing to properly supervise officers under their command in the incident that brought charges of “criminal responsibility for conduct of another” against children following a bullying incident off school grounds that was recorded and posted to the internet.

The arrests were based on a cellphone video from mid-March that shows a small child who allegedly punched a larger child as other children encouraged the attack. The charges against the children were dropped in June.

Read more: http://www.dnj.com/story/news/crime/2017/01/23/hobgood-arrests-discipline-murfreesboro/96943562/