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School officer child abuse charge dropped

Posted at 10:30 AM, Apr 07, 2016
and last updated 2016-04-07 17:32:42-04

A Baltimore school police officer accused of hitting a student in an incident that was caught on video is facing one less charge after a court appearance Thursday.

Anthony C. Spence, 44, is charged with second-degree assault and misconduct in office, both misdemeanors.

Related: 2 Baltimore City School Police officers caught on video face multiple charges

He was previously facing a charge of second-degree child abuse, a felony in the state of Maryland, but his attorney told ABC2 that the felony charge had been dropped.

The case has been transferred to Baltimore Circuit Court.

The charges stem from an incident captured on video in March. The video shows a school police officer slapping and kicking a student at Reach Partnership. A second school police officer is also seen in the video.

See also: Texas school district investigating school police officer body slam

Spence and his partner that day, 53-year-old Saverna Bias, were charged after an investigation into the viral video by the Baltimore Police Department.

Bias' charges now match Spence's. She was never charged with the felony child abuse count.

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