Alleged NYPD abuse of homeless man probed

A beating of a homeless man -- one that began with a hard right-hand punch caught on videotape -- has two New York City police officers in hot water.

The New York Police Department's internal affairs unit and the Brooklyn district attorney's office were investigating the allegation of excessive force inside a Jewish community center in Brooklyn, authorities said Tuesday.

The NYPD opened its probe on Monday after being alerted to the clip from a security camera showing one of the officers repeatedly punching 21-year-old Ehud Halevy during an arrest on Oct. 8, department spokesman Paul Browne said.

Meanwhile, elected officials have demanded the department fire the officers, identified in court papers as Luis Vega and Yelena Bruzzese.

-- AP