New York police officers plead not guilty to assaulting Brooklyn teenager

(CNN) -- Two New York Police Department officers were arrested Wednesday on charges stemming from the alleged assault of a teenager in Brooklyn.

Officers Tyrane Isaac and David Afanador pleaded not guilty at an arraignment in Brooklyn Supreme Court, according to their lawyer, Stephen Worth.

The officers were charged Tuesday after an investigation by the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office into the case of Kareem Tribble, 16, who said he was beaten during his arrest on August 29, according to a statement from the District Attorney's Office.

"These police officers not only violated his rights but also trampled on their sworn oath to serve, protect and uphold the law," Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson said.



Afanador is charged with felony assault, criminal possession of a weapon and official misconduct. Isaac is charged with misdemeanor assault and official misconduct, according to the statement.

Tribble was arrested after the alleged beating on charges of marijuana possession and disorderly conduct, although the drug charges were eventually dropped, said Amy Rameau, Tribble's lawyer.

Footage of the arrest from a surveillance camera, originally obtained by DNAinfo New York, shows the final moments of a chase between Tribble and the officers, Worth said.

In the video, Tribble slows down on a sidewalk as officers catch up to him. When Tribble turns to face a first officer, later identified as Isaac, the officer appears to swing and punch Tribble in the face.

The video continues to show Tribble stumble back against a storefront with his hands in the air when Afanador approaches him and appears to strike him in the mouth with his gun.

Tribble suffered two broken teeth and cuts and bruises to his face, according to his lawyer.

"It's important to remember that at the time, they're stopping him at 2 in the morning, they don't know if he has a weapon, they don't know what his intentions are," said Worth.

Worth said Tribble ran from the officers after allegedly tossing 17 bags of marijuana that he was intending to sell.

"They used the force necessary to get the individual to comply with them and to allow them to search and arrest," he said.

Tribble's lawyer said: "He was leaving a friend and heading home innocently. That's what he was doing when they decided to chase him."

Rameau also said the officers initially refused to treat Tribble's injuries.

"After victimizing him and brutalizing him, they denied him medical attention," she said.

The worst damage to Tribble, Rameau said, has been psychological.

"His parents will tell you he's a completely different kid now," Rameau said. "He's completely traumatized."

Both officers were released Wednesday without bail and are expected back in court in December, according to the prosecutor's statement.

If convicted, Afanador faces up to seven years in prison and Isaac faces up to a year in jail, the statement said.