October 4th, 2016 by WCBC Radio
A 15-year-old Maryland girl who was handcuffed, pepper-sprayed and charged with assaulting police officers after her bicycle hit a car won't face court proceedings, community service or supervision by juvenile authorities under an agreement her lawyer announced Tuesday.
Attorney Robin Ficker said the girl has written a letter to the state Department of Juvenile Services apologizing for cursing at officers who struggled to detain her after she refused to identify herself or her parents.
The girl had been charged by police as a juvenile with two counts of second-degree assault, plus disorderly conduct, marijuana possession and a traffic violation.
The Sept. 18 incident, captured by police body cameras and cellphone video, prompted three days of demonstrations by people demanding police accountability in Hagerstown, a city of 40,000 about 70 miles west of Baltimore.
The Department of Juvenile Services could not confirm the agreement due to confidentiality laws regarding juvenile records, spokeswoman Audra Harrison said.
Police and city officials didn't immediately respond to phone calls and emails from The Associated Press. Police Chief Victor Brito has said his officers initially tried to de-escalate the situation, and then used appropriate force to get the kicking, cursing girl inside a cruiser and off to the police station so they could properly investigate the accident.
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