The officer from the Richard County Sheriff's Department was on duty in the city's Spring Valley High School as a school monitor on Monday (26Oct15) when he was called to a classroom after a female student refused to leave, according to U.S. reports.

The video, which has been widely shared online, appears to show the officer grabbing the student and pulling her and the desk to the ground, before dragging her across the classroom.

The officer arrested the girl and a male student on suspicion of breaching the peace, according to Columbia's local newspaper The State.

After the footage was shared on social media, a number of celebrities condemned the officer's actions via Twitter.com.

Sheen wrote, "I won't even offer you the dignity or recognition to print your name. You are a blight on the honor of your badge."

Pop legend Cher expressed her fury by writing, "Teen girl in classrm (classroom) thrown around like rag doll. Every1 (everyone) on TV saying 'we can't see what she did b4 (before) video' Who gives a flying Fk (f**k)!! She's a child."

Actor Jeffrey Wright compared the event to what might occur under a Communist dictatorship, writing, "Student 'told she was under arrest for disturbing school.' This the Soviet f'ing Union (sic)?!"

U.S. Civil Rights leader Reverend Jesse Jackson went further by calling for the sacking of the officer and legal action to be taken against the police department.

The officer has been put on administrative leave by the sheriff's department while the incident is investigated by police and school officials.