NC police sergeant cited for nearly hitting child, driving around stopped school bus
A Concord Police sergeant was cited and placed on administrative duty after citizen video showed him passing a stopped school bus and narrowly missing a student after she stepped off the bus, city officials said.
Sgt. Matthew Willet was cited by the North Carolina Highway Patrol for passing a stopped school bus and was placed on administrative duty by the Concord Police Department pending an administrative investigation, according to a City of Concord news release this week.
The video shared on social media shows an officer “breaking the law and endangering a child,” according to the city news release. “The actions of this driver are something no one should do, especially not an officer who is held to a higher standard.”
The near-miss of the student unfolds over just several seconds, video shows.
Public records show the incident occurred on Odell School Road in Cabarrus County.
The student who stepped from the Cabarrus County Schools bus stood frozen as the officer passed on the door side of the bus in a marked Concord Police Department car, according to the video shared by Orlando Almazan Jr. on Thursday.
He later said the bus driver got the attention of his daughter, who was almost hit.
The student stood for several more seconds as if in shock before walking down the gravel driveway of a home, the video shows.
“Unacceptable!” the student’s father, Orlando Almazan Jr., said in a caption under the video of the incident that he shared on Facebook.
On Facebook, he thanked everyone for their concerns. “This matter is getting addressed,” he said.
“I also want to give a HUGE thanks to the bus driver (Mr. B) for noticing the patrol car and getting my daughter’s attention,” Almazan said on Facebook.
Police said that as soon as they saw the video Thursday night, they tried to reach the child’s family to check on her. Officers talked with the student’s father on Friday morning, police officials said.
The Concord Police Department’s investigation “requires several steps that take time,” according to the city news release. “We’re committed to accountability and ask our community to remain patient while we complete our investigation.”
This story was originally published May 16, 2023 at 12:20 PM.