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Two Norfolk, Virginia police officers arrested and pepper-sprayed a Black teen they believed was skipping school. The video that captured the incident shows witnesses questioning the behavior of the officers as the teen was arrested and pinned up against a patrol car by the officers.

Two Norfolk, Virginia police officers arrested and pepper-sprayed a Black teen they believed was skipping school. The officers stopped the 16-year-old under the suspicion of truancy for not being in school during school hours. Full story = https://t.co/9SZTRM6Nu7 pic.twitter.com/aSh4eEVyk2 — The Black Detour (@theblackdetour) October 16, 2018

One witness can be heard saying in the video, “Police need to realize they are not better than we are.” The witness went on to say “You don’t get to treat black people like that.”

The video also shows another witness trying to diffuse the situation as the teenager screamed and asked officers to remove the handcuffs. Since the video has begun to circulate on social media, the Norfolk Police Department released a statement stating the teen was stopped “under the suspicion of truancy.”

“Around 12:50 p.m. Monday, October 8, 2018, two officers observed a teenager walking in the roadway in the 200 block of East 19th Street. The officers stopped the 16-year-old under the suspicion of truancy, not being in school during school hours,” the statement read. “During the interaction between the teen and the officers, one of the officers utilized OC Spray. The Office of Professional Standards is investigating the entire incident which includes the use of the OC Spray.” According to the Virginia-Pilot, the attorney for the 16-year-old High School sophomore said he doesn’t believe the Norfolk Police Department can impartially investigate the two officers involved in the incident. Police say the teenager was released to a parent and charges will be determined after the investigation. The officers involved remain on duty, according to the department. SEE ALSO: White Supremacist Group Attack Activists in New York SEE ALSO: White woman calls 911 on Black child for alleging he touched her butt

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