'I try not to think about it’: Girl speaks after charges filed against deputy who yanked her hair

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — A Westridge Middle School student whose hair was yanked by an Orange County deputy spoke at a news conference Wednesday afternoon about the fact that the deputy was charged with battery.

Video of the incident surfaced on social media in November that appeared to show the school-resource deputy, Harry Reid, pulling on 13-year-old Wilmica Edmond’s hair after an alleged fight between girls spilled into a parking lot at a nearby apartment complex. Reid was fired shortly after the incident.

“I try not to think about,” Wilmica said when asked what impact the incident has left on her.

She went on to say she believes that other officers in the future would be hesitant to act in a similar manner after charges were filed against Reid.

READ MORE: Battery charge filed against fire Orange County deputy caught on video yanking girl’s head

You can watch video of the incident below:

Watch: Cellphone video shows school resource deputy yanking girl by her head Sheriff John Mina said??Friday afternoon that a school resource officer was fired after??a video surfaced on social media that appears to show the deputy??yanking a middle school student's head, the Orange County Sheriff's Office said.

You can view bodycam video of the incident below:

Watch: Bodycam video shows school resource deputy yanking girl by her head Sheriff John Mina said??Friday afternoon that a school resource officer was fired after??a video surfaced on social media that appears to show the deputy??yanking a middle school student's head, the Orange County Sheriff's Office said.

Wilmica’s family said back in November that they were considering filing battery charges against Reid. Records show those charges were filed Jan. 30.

The State Attorney’s Office released the following statement regarding the charges:

“On Jan. 30, 2020, our office did, in fact, file an information charging Harry Reid, the former Orange County Sheriff’s deputy accused of pulling a girl by the hair, with one count of battery. This is an open and active investigation, which limits our ability to comment any further.”

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Edmond’s aunt, Frances Jasmin, told investigative reporter Daralene Jones that the family was glad to find out the charge had been filed.

“She was afraid to go to school. She is afraid to talk to people. She was like hiding. She has a fear behind her head that anything can happen to them -- until now,” Jasmin said.

You can watch Wilmica’s full remarks below:

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