Bronx teacher assaulted, robbed 16-year-old student over $4G in drug money: Police

A Bronx charter school teacher was arrested on Friday for punching and robbing a 16-year-old student whoowed him $4,000 in drug money, according to reports.

Kevin Pope, 48, 450 West 147th St., Hamilton Heights, was arrested at 10 a.m. near John V. Lindsey Wildcats Academy on Lafayette Avenue in Hunts Point, a police spokeswoman said. Pope was a science teacher at the charter school, New York Daily News reported. A Kevin Pope is listed on the school’s website as a science teacher.

According to NYPD, the student said he andPope had a verbal dispute over $4,000 the teen owes Pope for past drug sales. Pope approached the teen at around 5:10 p.m. on Wednesday and demanded money the teen owed him for weed the teacher allegedly sold him but the student never paid for, New York Post reported.

The fight escalated and Pope punched the student “numerous times” in the head, the NYPD spokeswoman said.

The teacher “ran off” with the student’s iPhone, wallet and gold chain, Daily News reported.

According to the Post, the teacher yelled“I want my money in a month!” and allegedly threatened to have the student’s mother sexually assaulted if the teacher was not paid.

The student, whose name has not been released,sustained a laceration on his lip and needed staples to close the wounds on the back of his head. His condition is not immediately known and he has not been arrested, NYPD said.

The incident was reported to police at 4 a.m. on Thursday, the Post reported.

Pope faces robbery and assault charges, according to police reports.

John V. Lindsay Wildcat Charter School is a privately run, publicly funded “alternative high school for students who have literally or figuratively ‘dropped out’ of traditional public schools,” according to the school’s website.

A Department of Education spokesman directed all inquiries to the charter school.

Metro was unable to reach a spokesperson atJohn V. Lindsey Wildcats Academyafter hours on Friday. The school “had no comment” when the Daily News called earlier on Friday, the publication reported.

Pope’s arraignment at Bronx Criminal Court was pending as of Friday evening, reports said.