Florida police hit and tease teen after he allegedly went into swimming pool

Police officials in Lakeland, Fla., are reviewing an incident in which officers beat and tagged a teenager after he allegedly entered an apartment complex swimming pool without permission and refused to leave when the police ordered him to do so.

Lakeland police charged the 16-year-old boy with misdemeanor trespassing and two counts of battery on a law enforcement officer and resisting an officer with violence, according to a police affidavit. arrest obtained by ABC News.

Christopher McKee, one of two officers who made the arrest in the May 26 incident, said in a police report that he was responding to a 911 call from management of the apartment complex. complaining that several people were at the apartment pool and were not authorized to be there. because they were not tenants. Once officers arrived, the apartment complex manager informed them that all non-residents of the complex were in violation.

ABC News is not naming the teen because he is a minor.

“I gave (the subject) several other legal orders to leave the property or he would be arrested,” McKee said in the affidavit. “(The subject) continued to ignore my verbal commands and put his hand in front of my face, while stating 'I don't need to talk to you'. I decided at that point to place ( the subject) in custody for trespassing.”

The officer states in the report that after making physical contact with the teen to take him into custody, the teen punched him in the face with a closed fist. In cellphone video of the incident obtained by ABC News, two officers can be seen hitting, pulling the hair and tasing the teen before he submitted to handcuffs. The video does not show what led to the incident.

Ja'Tae Lewis, the boy's mother, told ABC News that her son and his friends were leaving the property as requested by police. At that point, one of the police officers followed them and told his son that the next time he came to the complex, he should take his “fat guy” to the gym to work out, rather than to the pool.

Lewis said his son told him he talked back to the officer, but apparently didn't remember what he said. The officer then approached his son, according to Lewis, who in turn raised his hand to the officer's face to establish distance. That's when the officer became physical with his son, according to Lewis.

Lakeland police told ABC News that body camera video of the incident is not available to the public at this time. The teen was transported to a local hospital and then to a juvenile assessment center, according to the arrest affidavit.

“Police Chief Sam Taylor has already requested an administrative review by our Office of Professional Standards,” Lakeland police told ABC News in a statement. “We will not be able to release anything further related to this matter until the administrative review is complete.”