Baltimore Mayor: Policeman In Spitting Case Should Resign

BALTIMORE (WJZ/AP) -- Baltimore's mayor says that a police sergeant accused of spitting on a handcuffed man should resign.

During a Wednesday press conference, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said that the sergeant is "somebody who, in my opinion, should resign." She said the incident contributes to a poor relationship between the police and community and that "there are very few things that you can do to another human being that are that disgusting."

Police on Tuesday suspended the police powers of 34-year veteran Sgt. Robert Mesner after a video surfaced of a Monday night arrest in northeast Baltimore in which an onlooker says the officer spit on the man.

Interim Police Commissioner Kevin Davis says the video "appears to depict the police sergeant spitting on the arrestee." Criminal and internal investigations are underway.

Rawlings-Blake said the alleged incident tarnishes the reputation of officers who hold the highest respect for their position and their dedication to serving the community.

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