A 25-year veteran of the NOPD is accused of beating a Metairie man in the man's front yard Tuesday afternoon around 3 p.m.

NOPD

Steven Fayia, a 19-year-old resident of Metairie said he was about to take out his neighbor's trash on Tuesday when an armed New Orleans police officer pulled up to his front yard in uniform and started beating him.

"For like a good two to three minutes he's just hitting me on the head," said Fayia.  "That's when he busted my teeth, my jaw swollen, I got a bruise here, kept hitting my on the side."

Sergeant Justin Vitrano was the NOPD officer accused in the attack, according to Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office spokesman John Fortunato.

Fayia said he'd never spoken to the man and didn't even know Vitrano’s name, although the teen said he did recognize him as someone who lives in the neighborhood.  Steven’s father, Darrel Fayia, couldn't believe the stream of blood coming down Steven's face.

"My son came yelling to the door, dad help, a police officer just beat the hell out of me," said Darrel Fayia.

Darrel Fayia said he asked Vitrano to stay at the scene until Jefferson Parish Sheriff's deputies arrived.  However, he said the officer drove off anyway, but not before offering an explanation.

"All he told me is that your son was picking on my son," said Darrel Fayia. 

Steven denies ever teasing Vitrano's son, but admits the two almost got into a fight a few weeks ago.  Darrel said that during the alleged brawl, he noticed a young boy sitting and watching from inside the police car.  Steven said he recognized the boy as the sergeant’s son.

“His son was just sitting in the car smiling in the passenger seat,” said Darrel Fayia.

Jefferson Parish Sheriff's deputies arrived at the home soon after the alleged incident and then contacted Vitrano and ordered him to return to the scene.  But just as the Eyewitness News crew arrived at the home, a silent Vitrano left a second time and ignored requests for an interview.  Vitrano was issued a misdemeanor summons for simple battery.

"Hopefully justice is served," said Steven Fayia who, even after the citation was issued, continued to spend part of the evening reliving the fight as he jotted down every moment of it for the police report. 

Steven recalled a family motorcycle braking his fall.

"And when I fell over the bike, I kind of turned around and then he started kicking me, punching me," said Steven Fayia.

A spokesperson for the NOPD says Superintendent Warren Riley, per the recommendation of the department's Public Integrity Bureau, has reassigned Vitrano to desk duty pending the outcome of his trial.  Vitrano is expected in court on March 9, 2009.