The 6-second soundless video of an April 2024 incident at Beaumont United High School starts with Ja’Liyah Celestine, a 17-year-old Black student, kneeling in the middle of a hallway, covering her eyes.
Celestine later told the Texas Observer that, before this, Linda Holland, a white Beaumont ISD police officer waited “a long time” before breaking up a fight between her and another student, who Celestine said had instigated the fight. Celestine said that after the fight had already ended, Holland pepper-sprayed Celestine’s face, bringing her to her knees. The video, recorded by a teacher and obtained and reviewed by the Observer, shows students and teachers still circled around Celestine a few feet away, watching. Holland grabs Celestine by the hair, knees her in the face, and knocks the 4’11”, 100-pound girl on her back. Celestine’s friend attempts to pull her to her feet, while Holland shakes her head and walks away.
“It was so much going on, and all I remember is my eyes started burning. And then after that, I remember the cop kicking me in my face. She had me by my hair. She kneed me,” Celestine told the Observer. “I was really confused. … I didn’t know that I was getting pepper-sprayed, and I was scared.”
