Watertown, N.Y. - A Watertown Police Department lieutenant was arrested Thursday after troopers say he used force to take a 9-year-old boy down to the ground and handcuff him.

The interaction between Lt. James R. Spencer Jr. and the boy happened outside the police station on Sept. 24, according to Trooper Jennifer Jiron, a spokesperson for the State Police.

On Thursday, Spencer, 57, was charged with second-degree harassment (a violation) and endangering the welfare of a child (a misdemeanor).

Spencer, who has been with the department for 35 years, was placed on paid administrative leave on Sept. 26.

The lieutenant’s use of force was serious enough to prompt the Watertown City Court to issue a criminal summons, Jiron said.

On the morning of Sept. 24, a guardian brought the boy to the M

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