A grand jury has indicted the suspects accused of pummeling an off-duty NYPD officer in the Bronx last month.
Wayne Lucas, 23, was extradited from Virginia and arraigned on the charges Thursday morning.
He made a not-guilty plea in a courtroom crowded with police officers.
Lucas and his co-defendant, Taveon Hargrove, 23, were charged with allegedly violently beating an off-duty NYPD officer in the Bronx last month.
The attack was captured on security tape, and authorities claim it continued after the two accused knew their victim was a member of the NYPD.
Prosecutors claim the defendants seized the officer’s wallet, phone, and loaded service weapon. The 27-year-old victim was stomped on the head during the incident.
Officer Chowdhury Nafees was released from the hospital last week but still has a long road to recovery.
Both individuals were arrested in Virginia. In an unsuccessful attempt to conceal his identity, Lucas left a Richmond residence wearing a wig as a disguise.
Hargrove remains in Virginia, resisting extradition.