Uniontown school police officers pepper-sprayed a 16-year-old student who refused to hand over his backpack, which officers believed contained a vape, the boy's mother said. 

In an interview with KDKA-TV, the boy's mother, Tashia Kellam, said the officer's actions were uncalled for. She said four officers detained her son, Jo'Von, jumped on him, and pushed him to the ground. 

"I'm kind of angry," Tashia Kellam said. "Why are you macing a child who has no weapon, who's not aggressive, who's not showing force towards you, they just refuse to do something that you want them to do."

Officers identified the vape as a piece of metal in his backpack as he entered the school at the start of the day. 

The Uniontown Area School District confirmed a student was found with an illegal item, saying they were asked to hand over their bag so it could be inspected further.

"The student refused to comply with UASD School Police Officers' commands and became combative while retaining possession of their bag," Kellam said. "Due to the escalating nature of the situation and the potential danger to students and staff, officers were forced to take measures to ensure the safety of all involved and present within the building."

"And that's all you have to say, is that he became combative, and you need four officers to deal with a 125-pound child," Kellam said. "Not acceptable to me. Sorry."

While not there, she said she knows what happened from speaking to her son, other students, and by reviewing the video of what happened.

She shared what happened when she found her son in the office at school.

"I sat there and wiped his face, poured water on his eyes," Kellam said. "I was trying to damp his eyes. His socks were soaking wet. He didn't have his shoes on his feet, nothing. He was just in the office like that, in handcuffs, sitting in a chair."  

Accounts of the incident spread like wildfire online, with some people placing blame on the officers and others placing blame on the student and his parents. 

"You're saying I'm a bad parent," Kellam said."I'm not taking care of my son. I'm not teaching him how to respect authority. How can you say that you don't know me? You don't know how I am. I teach my kids very much not to do those things."

Jo'von knows he did something wrong while also recognizing he was also wronged, she said. 

"You can't be that aggressive with kids, you can't," she said, explaining the district should change its policies.

Her son was given a three-day suspension, but don't expect to see him back there next week, she said. 

"He doesn't want to go back, and I'm sure they don't even want him back," Kellam said. "He's a young black boy who can't get an education. That's not okay."

She's already thinking about moving him to another district or homeschooling him, she said. 

The district requested that city police investigate what happened along with the school police force.