The two school police officers who were caught on video as one of them repeatedly slapped a student outside a high school have been charged with child abuse and assault.
The incident in Baltimore was captured by a bystander and showed officers Anthony Spence and Saverna Bias attacking a youth, who was not a student at the city’s Reach! Partnership School and reportedly did not have permission to be the property.
The Baltimore Sun reported on Wednesday that Mr Spence, who was seen in the video hitting the student and then kicking him, was charged with second-degree child abuse, second-degree assault and misconduct in office. Ms Bias, 52, who can be seen standing behind her colleague, was charged with second-degree assault and misconduct in office.
Chief School Supports Officer Karl Perry told reporters last week that the young man who was attacked did not have permission to be on the school premises.
“I’m a parent, and I’m totally appalled at what I saw in that video,” he told WJZ-TV. “No matter what the circumstances are, I am totally appalled.”
Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake condemned the officer’s actions in a statement.
“The behaviour that was demonstrated on the video, you never want to see anyone treated like that,” she said. “It certainly is not helpful as we work to build bridges of trust to see that level of mistreatment.”
Both officers and Marshall Goodwin, the chief of the school police, have been placed on administrative leave.
