Criminal investigations have been launched by police departments and Baltimore City School officials in connection with a video that appears to show a police officer slapping and kicking a teenage boy yesterday just outside a Baltimore City school, the Baltimore Sun reports.
A second police officer can be seen watching the slapping and kicking actions of the first police officer. Both police officers have been placed on paid administrative leave, pending the outcome of the investigations.
The video was shot on the steps outside the REACH Academy, 2815 Saint Lo Drive, where the altercation took place, by a friend of the 16-year-old boy being slapped and kicked. That friend posted the video to his Facebook timeline.
Upon seeing the video, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake described the scene as appalling: “Anytime there is a law enforcement officer with that level of authority that seems to be abusing that authority, it impacts all of us across the country,” the Sun quoted her as saying.
“It certainly is not helpful as we work to build bridges of trust to see that level of mistreatment,” she said. “The behavior that was demonstrated on the video, you never want to see anyone treated like that.”
An attorney for the boy said the 10th grader suffered face and rib injuries, according to a report on CNN. His name is not being released, because he is a minor.