School Officer Video Prompts Calls For Reform

BALTIMORE (AP) -- A Baltimore public school police officer and the department's chief are on administrative leave and child advocates are calling for reform as authorities investigate a cellphone video showing the officer slapping and kicking a teen at a school.

City police have said they're in the early stages of a criminal investigation into the incident this week at REACH Partnership School. Officials say the acting chief for the city's school police department requested the investigation. Cellphone video shows the school police officer slapping and kicking a young man while another officer stands by.

Attorney Mike Davey tells The Baltimore Sun that his client -- the officer, Anthony C. Spence of Baltimore -- thought the boy was trespassing on school grounds and questioned him. Davey said he couldn't go into specifics because of the ongoing investigation.

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