Baltimore School Cop Who Slapped Student Escapes Felony Charge

A child abuse charge against a Baltimore school police officer caught on a cellphone video slapping a student has been dropped by prosecutors.

According to the Baltimore Sun, prosecutors have dropped the key felony charge against Anthony Spence, a school resource officer who was recorded smacking and kicking a truant student as another officer watches. Spence and Saverna Bias, the second officer, still face charges of second-degree assault and misconduct in office.

Read more: Do Cops in Schools Do More Harm Than Good?

School resource officers have been criticized recently as a number of videos have gone viral showing officers aggressively intervening in disciplinary matters involving students. In September, Ahmed Mohamed was arrested by police after a school officer believed a homemade clock he made was a bomb. The following month, an officer violently tipped over a female South Carolina student sitting at her desk, prompting a U.S. Department of Justice investigation.

The National Association of School Resource Officers says there an estimated 14,000 and 20,000 SROs around the U.S.