The quiet confines of a Baltimore public library erupted into chaos during a confrontation Monday afternoon between a security officer and a teenager, and it was all captured on video.
Authorities said the altercation started over a simple request and that cellphone video recorded by the teen's friend doesn't show the full story.
The cellphone video, which was posted on Facebook, shows an Enoch Pratt Free Library security officer hit a 17-year-old girl several times inside the Orleans Street branch. The officer then tackles the girl and handcuffs her.
But what the video didn't show was what happened right before the girl's friend started recording the fight.
Library spokesman Roswell Encina said it all started when the girl allegedly would not obey the officer's plea for her to but back a piece of furniture she had moved.
"Instead of putting it back, she responded by yelling at him and screaming at him, cursing at him, verbally assaulting him. Then she pulled out her pepper spray, hit him. She also bit him," Encina said.
According to the police report, a Baltimore police officer arrived and watched the library's surveillance footage, which showed the teen tossing the furniture, getting into the library security officer's face and spraying pepper spray.
It appeared right after that, the cellphone video started, showing the continuing struggle and then the blows the officer laid on the girl, Lettis reported.
"At this point, he's both trying to defend himself and trying to subdue her and trying get her out of the building without anyone getting hurt," Encina said.
A teen 11 News reporter George Lettis found near the library said he was the brother of the girl in the video.
"You hitting my sister? You can't do that. ... I understand she smacked you. You could have at least grabbed her, put her hands behind her back. You got the handcuffs. You can't just smack her up a couple times and then put the handcuffs on, you feel me?" said the brother, who only identified himself as Tay.
The girl, whose identity hasn't been released, was charged with aggravated assault.
The library is investigating the actions of the security officer, identified as 49-year-old Julius Williams, but authorities said he is not facing charges.
Williams has been reassigned to desk duty at the Central Library branch downtown as the investigation continues.
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