The 16-year-old student was charged with two counts of battery on a peace officer, one count of battery on a school employee and one count of assault on a school employee. The three battery charges are each fourth-degree felonies.

Around 9 a.m. Thursday, police arrived at the CrossRoads Alternative School at 411 N. Armijo St. after the teen punched at a teacher, said spokesman for the Las Cruces Police Department Dan Trujillo. As a police officer who was investigating the incident began placing handcuffs on the teen, the student spun around and struck the officer once on the mouth, said Trujillo.

The boy then punched the teacher twice, while the officer was reaching for his Taser, said Trujillo. The teen was shocked with the Taser and while being escorted in handcuffs he spit in the face of another officer who had arrived to assist, Trujillo said.

The teacher and the officers were not seriously injured, said Trujillo.

The student was given a juvenile class III citation and was turned over to the custody of the Dona Ana County Detention Center.

The CrossRoads school, administered by the Las Cruces Public Schools, is a program for students who are serving long-term suspensions from their home schools.