POLK COUNTY, Fla. — Polk County investigators arrested and charged Marcus Franklin, the Ridge Community High School Director of Guidance Counseling, on Tuesday for battery on a law enforcement officer and resisting arrest with violence.
- Polk guidance counselor arrested for interfering with student arrest
- Officials say Marcus Franklin physically intervened during the arrest of a suspect
- Franklin shoved a detective during the incident, causing injury
Investigators said Franklin, 39, of Orlando, physically intervened during the arrest of a suspect at the school, causing injury to one of the detectives.
“He starts pushing the detectives away from the suspect, and it’s like, 'what are you thinking? Why did you do that? You could’ve helped us solve the problems,'" said Sheriff Grady Judd. "Instead you created more problems and created felony problems for yourself."
The detectives were at the high school conducting a battery investigation between two students and were in the process of taking a juvenile into custody.
When detectives attempted to take her into custody, they said a tussle between the detectives and suspect began. Investigators said the female student attempted to escape.
Deputies said Franklin entered the room during the tussle and interfered with the arrest, pushing one of the detectives away from the student and placing himself between detectives and the student in an attempt to shield her.
“He told our detectives, 'I’m just deescalating the situation,' as he stroked the suspects hair and referred to her as 'baby,'” Judd said. “He tells two detectives — who are clearly wearing jackets that say they’re sheriffs, wearing their appropriate identification and certainly their firearms — 'You can’t make an arrest. Only law enforcement in uniform can make an arrest.' Well news flash, we can and we did and you got arrested as well for being an idiot.“
The student’s mother told us she was upset she wasn’t contacted or present while her daughter was being interviewed by detectives. She said her daughter has a history of seizures and told her she blacked out and didn’t remember what happened.
Finally, she said she didn't know or wasn't acquainted with Franklin.