A Prince George’s County (Maryland) Schools bus aide was arrested over the weekend and held without bond after school bus video obtained by local police from the school district showed him beat a student with special needs during a route.
The incident allegedly occurred on June 6 during the ride to Foundation School in Largo, according to a press release issued by the Prince George’s County Police Department. It said the video shows bus aide DeQuan Brooks, 22, seated next to the 7-year-old student, grabbing the boy, then shoving him into several bus seats.
Police also said Brooks is seen assaulting the child on the head and neck.
Officers initially responded to a 911 call placed by the school district’s transportation office on June 6 that a student was acting disorderly on a bus. Police said that the officers were met by three adults on the bus, who accused the boy of acting out and attempting to throw Brooks’ cell phone out a window.
The release said officers could find no evidence on the scene to support the allegations. The three adults also did not tell officers that the boy had been assaulted.
Police learned about the assault the following evening, when school security provided the school bus surveillance video, and launched the investigation.
“We made contact with the victim and his parent who had been told earlier that their child had acted upon the bus ride to school Thursday morning,” reads the police department press release. “We advised the parent of our investigation that their child had been assaulted and advised that the child be seen by a doctor. The child did have bruising on his neck.”
Prince George’s County Police said the investigation continues.
