By STEPHANIE CLIFFORD
The surveillance video starts
with a 16-year-old running down a sidewalk in Brooklyn, with the police in
pursuit.
The teenager, Kaheem Tribble,
then slowed and faced an officer, Tyrane Isaac, who took a wild swing at his
head. As another officer, David Afanador, approached, Mr. Tribble raised his
hands; Officer Afanador swung his gun at the teenager’s mouth, breaking his
teeth, prosecutors said.
The episode on Aug. 29 has led
to criminal charges against the two officers, who were arraigned on Wednesday.
Officer Afanador, 33, was
charged with felony-level assault, along with criminal possession of a weapon
and official misconduct. Officer Isaac, 36, was charged with misconduct and
misdemeanor assault.
“We had a 16-year-old boy with
his hands up seeking to surrender who was attacked by members of the force who
were supposed to protect him,” the Brooklyn district attorney, Kenneth P.
Thompson, said. “When any police officer crosses the line, we have an
obligation to hold them accountable.”
Charging an officer with
criminal possession of a weapon is unusual, but Mr. Thompson said it was
“appropriate” here. “The weapon was used to inflict injury,” he said. Mr.
Tribble’s medical records showed at least two broken teeth.
The case was one of several
instances in which alleged police violence or misconduct has been caught on
video lately.
Prosecutors said they were
alerted to the episode by the New York Police Department’s Internal Affairs
Bureau. According to prosecutors, the officers were on duty in Crown Heights
when they saw Mr. Tribble throw out a bag of marijuana and run away.
Mr. Tribble was charged with
marijuana possession and disorderly conduct, prosecutors said. The marijuana
charge was dropped and he pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct, which is a
violation and not a felony.
The officers, both dressed in
dark suits, did not speak at the hearing on Wednesday. They were released
without bail.
