A man who investigators say was viciously attacked by two Philadelphia Police officers over a year ago is speaking out for the first time.
On Feb. 5, officers Sean McKnight, a 7-year veteran, and Kevin Robinson, a 6-year veteran were arrested in connection to a May 2013 altercation with Najee Rivera which was captured on surveillance video. During an exclusive interview with NBC10's George Spencer Tuesday, Rivera said he was happy when he learned the officers were charged, especially since he was initially accused of assaulting them.
"I felt good," Rivera said. "I felt like, justice now is being served."
The violent interaction, which left Rivera with a fractured orbital bone and multiple facial lacerations, took place around 10 p.m. on May 29, 2013.
The officers attempted to pull over Rivera, who was 24-years-old at the time, near North 7th and Somerset streets in North Philly, investigators said.
Rivera became frightened and drove away, and was subsequently chased by the officers who went against procedure by not using lights and sirens during the pursuit, authorities said.
McKnight and Robinson caught up with Rivera a few blocks away near North 6th Street and Lehigh Avenue, where the beatdown took place.
The officers are accused of knocking Rivera from his scooter from their patrol car and then repeatedly hitting the man with their fists and batons while he screamed in pain.
“One of them actually reached out of the window and clubbed Rivera in the head,” said Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams during a news conference last Thursday.
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“After the beating, they handcuffed Rivera, who was still on the ground, and for several minutes they kept him there while he was bleeding and they were standing on him with foot on back,” Wiliams said. “Another officer had arrived at the scene and thought that Mr. Rivera had been shot because there was so much blood on the ground.”
“Simply put, no one – not even police officers – is above the law,” he said. “This type of behavior has absolutely no place in our city.”
A surveillance camera from a nearby business captured the entire altercation — beginning with the moment the officers knocked the man from his scooter.
The video discredited McKnight’s and Robinson’s versions of the story, which accused Rivera of throwing an officer against a wall and then slamming his head against it.
Authorities credited Rivera's girlfriend, Dina Scannapieco, with bringing the video to their attention. She canvassed the neighborhood following the attack and asked local shop owners and residents if they had any footage, Williams said.
The pair were suspended from the force as soon as the charges were announced. They were removed from street patrols over a year ago – as soon as investigators determined their accounts of the May 2013 altercation were false.
"Were supposed to trust our cops to protect and serve us," Scannapieco told NBC10 Tuesday. "And in this incident, they didn't protect and serve."
Despite her boyfriend's experience, Scannapieco hasn't lost her faith in law enforcement.
"Not all cops are bad," she said. "I trust in cops."
McKnight and Robinson are charged with aggravated assault, criminal conspiracy, tampering with public records and other related offenses.
Both men will be terminated at the end of their 30-day suspension, said Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey.
Initially Rivera faced charges based on accusations from McKnight and Robinson that investigators determined to be false. The charges were withdrawn once prosecutors reviewed the video depicting the attack.
Rivera said he still feels pain from the attack and is currently struggling financially. He recently became a father and lost his job at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. He also said a $200,000 settlement he received in the case was reduced by medical bills and attorney fees.
While many of Rivera's emotional scars from the incident are healed, his emotional scars remain.
"I'm not the same no more," Rivera said. "I'll never be the same again to be honest with you."
With his name now cleared, Rivera hopes to find a new job. His biggest hope however at this point is that the charges against the two officers stick.
