Hazelwood police still have not seen video of bus attack

By Ryan Dean

KSDK -- Police are not happy with how the Hazelwood School District is handling last week's bus beating. The school has video of the attack but refuses to let police see it without a court order.

Police say this is a new policy. They've never been forced by the school to get a subpoena to view video of a possible crime. Meanwhile, the district says it's just following the law. A school spokesperson says they began enforcing the law after the Belleville bus beating video made national news.

The Hazelwood West attack involves a 14-year-old boy assaulting a teenage girl. It happened Friday on a school bus.

Police still have not seen the video. Hazelwood school officials say the tape is an educational record, and therefore is private. Investigators say this new precedent is hampering its investigation.

"What it is going to do is delay law enforcement from taking immediate and effective actions to; take people into custody, identify people, keep these violent offenders from maybe carrying out more violent acts against the same victims or additional victims," said Captain Gregg Hall of the Hazelwood Police Department.

A representative with the US Department of Education says if the video is maintained by the school district, which in this case it is, then it is an educational record.

However, the spokesperson also says the school can release it if obtains parental consent or they believe a safety emergency exist.

Police argue that safety is at risk. The victim's parents say they want the video released.