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The Ridiculous Story Behind a Bronx Teacher Who Beat Up Student Who Owed Him Weed Money

The tale of 48-year-old Kevin Pope is stranger than fiction.

A New York City drug deal gone bad resulted in a violent altercation between a Bronx teacher and an unidentified 16-year-old.

48-year-old Kevin Pope taught science at John V. Lindsay Wildcat Charter School. In June, Pope asked several of his students if they could connect him with a drug dealer. Pope was then introduced to a teen who claimed to have a Manhattan dealer who could get large quantities of weed.

Pope gave the teen $4,000 to buy about a pound of weed. When the teen went to finish the transaction, he was told that the amount he wanted would cost $7,000. The teen then took off with Pope’s cash and spent it.

On Wednesday, Pope saw the teen on Lafayette Avenue and demanded that he give him back the $4,000. When the student failed to return the money, Pope then punched the boy several times in the face.

The teen alleged that Pope also stole his iPhone 6, gold chain and his wallet.

While the two were engaged in the fight, Pope allegedly yelled, “Do you want to die? You want to steal from me? I should break your arm...I should get someone to rape your mom every day after work.”

Pope was arrested on Friday and released without bail the next day. Pope’s attorney Japel Filiaci argued that the fight occurred because the teen stole Pope’s briefcase that had $4,000 in it. When asked why Pope had such a large sum of money, his lawyer claimed that he withdrew it to make a transaction.

As a result of the attack, the teen needed three staples to close deep head wounds, read the complaint. Pope was charged with assault, grand larceny, criminal possession of stolen property and robbery. Judge Harold Adler ordered Pope to stay away from the teen and his mother. 

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