(Newser) – Don't spray him, bro! A Texas cop recently pepper-sprayed a tiny baby squirrel in front of a horrified crowd of yelling schoolchildren. Now the cop is a YouTube "star," thanks to a cell phone video of the confrontation. "Nooooo," cry kids as the tiny speck on the ground gets a face full of spray. "Officer Davis, don't spray him!" The little guy is seen after the police take down writhing in agony on the ground outside the Mesquite middle school. Authorities defend the cop, saying he was protecting the children from a squirrel that could have been rabid, notes Fox News. The squirrel was cared for at a local animal shelter and released into the wild, according to officials. For other squirrels in the news, check this out. (Read more Mace stories.)