Ben Fields

The Justice Department is set to open a federal civil rights investigation following the emergence of a now-viral video showing a school resource officer slamming and dragging a Black female student across the classroom.

Soon after the video was uploaded and gained national attention, Fields was placed on administrative leave. On Tuesday afternoon, Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott announced that Fields was suspended without pay.

The incident at Spring Valley Student High School in Columbia, S.C. has become one of the most polarizing topics in the nation. While the general consensus…