The New York Police Department is under fire again this week for an Aug. 29 incident in which two officers punched and pistol-whipped a Black, male teen in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. The disturbing video shows the officers brutalizing the 16-year-old marijuana suspect, later identified as Kahreem Tribble, even though he had his hands up in surrender.
Tribble initially ran from the officers briefly, but put up his hands in surrender when they caught up to him. The first officer, Tyrane Isaac, swings at the teen’s face, but he misses. Tribble keeps his hands up. Officer David Afanador soon catches up with the two with his gun drawn and things get worse. Afanador uses his gun to pistol-whip Tribble in the face, breaking his teeth. Afandor leaves to try to find the evidence dropped by Tribble, while Issac is left to put handcuffs on the teen. Before doing so, Isaac punches Tribble and pushes him to the ground. The video ends with Afandor smacking Tribble in the face with a canvas bag, and a third officer, Christopher Mastoros, not taking action to prevent the excessive force.
The officers from the 79th Precinct arrested Tribble for possession of 17 bags of marijuana and disorderly conduct. Tribble plead guilty to a violation at his arraignment and was released with numerous bruises and broken teeth.
The officers are now under investigation of the NYPD Internal Affairs and Brooklyn District Attorney Kenneth Thompson. Afanador has been suspended without pay. Isaac is on modified duty, but has been stripped of his badge and gun.
According to sources, Police Commissioner William Bratton has seen the video and is embarrassed and angered by the incident.
Police union president Patrick Lynch, however, is trying to spin a different story. “As usual, the video fails to capture the offense that resulted in police action or the lengthy foot pursuit that culminated in the arrest,” he said. Lynch failed to point out where in the NYPD handbook it says pistol-whipping a suspect is appropriate. Sources say officials are particularly concerned because Afanador’s gun could’ve accidentally fired, injuring or killing Tribble, another officer, or a bystander.
Both officers face criminal charges.
According to Tribble’s attorney, he was doing nothing wrong. “My client was minding his own business and they decided to chase him for no reason,” Amy Rameau said. “Their account is concocted to justify what they did, to cover their asses, to legitimize their criminal conduct.”
This excessive force incident occurred a little more than a month after the killing of Eric Garner, who died after NYPD Officer Daniel Pantaleo put him in an illegal choke-hold. Officers suspected Garner of selling illegal cigarettes.
Watch the video of Kahreem Tribble’s beating at the hands of the NYPD below …