Video Shows School Cop Slapping, Kicking Teen

Officer on administrative leave during investigation
By Arden Dier,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 3, 2016 1:24 PM CST

A Baltimore school police officer is under investigation for assault and misconduct after a four-second video surfaced apparently showing him slapping and kicking a 16-year-old boy. Officials say two officers were called to REACH Partnership School on Tuesday because two "intruders" were posing a threat, per the Baltimore Sun. The officers then moved the individuals outside, where the incident took place. A lawyer for officer Anthony Spence tells CNN that the teen became aggressive and refused to leave. It isn't clear what happened next, though attorney Lauren Geisser, who is representing the 16-year-old, says a witness recorded Spence slapping her client three times, then kicking him while yelling profanities. A female officer stood behind him.

Officials said the so-called intruders weren't students, but Geisser says her client is enrolled at the school. He "didn't want to leave the school where he had a right to attend," she says, adding he was treated at a hospital for injuries to his ribs and face. "I am completely appalled and disappointed by what is depicted in the video," Baltimore Schools' CEO says. "This is unacceptable. It's not behavior that will ever be tolerated by any city employee," a school support officer adds. The head of the Baltimore school police force and both responding officers have been placed on administrative leave, officials say. WJZ cites a report that Spence was fired from the sheriff's office more than a decade ago. Students say the officer had a reputation for being "aggressive." (More Baltimore stories.)

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