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Bedline Belrice, 31, has since been terminated from her role as a caretaker at Crystal Springs, the residential center and special education school said.
A screenshot from the video apparently showing a former Crystal Springs employee assaulting a 33-year-old woman who was diagnosed with autism and is nonverbal. Carlos Andrade Melo/Facebook
An employee at a Fall River residential center and special education school is facing charges for the alleged assault of a disabled person that was captured on video.
Bedline Belrice, 31, is charged with assault and battery on a disabled person and assault and battery on a person with an intellectual disability, court records show.
Officers arrived at the intersection of Middle and Ash Street at 10:50 a.m. on Thursday following a report of a physical altercation, police wrote in a report filed in the Fall River District Court.
Carlos Andrade Melo, 40, was unloading groceries from his car when he saw Bedline allegedly shove a 33-year-old woman, who is nonverbal and diagnosed with autism, to the ground, court documents state.
Melo recorded the incident and posted it on Facebook on Friday.
Belrice was employed as a caretaker at Crystal Springs, a facility providing residential adult programs and therapy for people with developmental disabilities.
During the incident, Belrice “attempted to forcefully restrain” the woman, who was “not being combative,” the police report states.
Belrice also kneed the victim once, looked around, and then struck her in the back two more times with “sufficient force” that caused the victim’s weight to shift forward, per the report.
Belrice then allegedly grabbed the victim under her arms, dragged her for eight steps, and dropped her onto the ground. Police noted that if the victim, did not stop her own fall, she would have hit her face on the concrete ground.
Belrice then left the woman in the sun while she went to sit in the shade, police wrote in the report.
Responding officers interviewed Bedline after reviewing the footage, and she stated that the victim “was not being compliant,” police said.
“Bedline informed me she did not knee her in a malicious way and the knee was only to get her attention,” police wrote.
The victim underwent further evaluation at Saint Anne’s Hospital, where officials examined bruising on her back. A doctor informed police that the injuries were recent and “most likely resulted from the knee strikes,” court documents state.
In a statement to Boston.com, a spokesperson for Crystal Springs said the facility is “deeply concerned by the incident” and has terminated Belrice.
“Our primary focus is the health, safety, and well-being of the individual involved. We have been in direct contact with their family and have implemented additional support and safeguards,” the statement continues. “The actions depicted in the video do not reflect the standards, values, or expectations of Crystal Springs or the compassionate care our employees provide every day.”
Belrice is expected to be arraigned Aug. 5, court records show.
Attorney information for Belrice was not immediately available Tuesday afternoon.
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